The Hunger Games: Scalding Ice
by CragmiteBlaster
Summary: After his escape from the 12 year olds Quell, Urchin of District 4 has become the Mockingjay. Alongside Rue, he has to face the Capitol in one last, brutal battle. With war breaking out, his friends in trouble, danger around every single turn and his precious little sister trapped in Snow's clutches, can Urchin be the hero Panem needs? Part of the Nameless Chronicles.
1. Act 1-1: No More Innocence

**Disclaimer:** I do not own The Hunger Games. They belong to Suzanne Collins.

 **Note:** It's been quite a wait, a longer one than I would have liked, but with all my Uni coursework finally finished off I'm free to write and Urchin is here to make his return for his third and final story! Out of the deadly forest of the 74th Games, out of the tundra the Quell happened in and now into all out rebellion... what will befall our tiny, curly haired protagonist next? Well, read on and start to find out the answer. There's plenty going on in this one, and I hope you all enjoy it!

* * *

 **ACT 1: THE INSPIRATION**

 **Part 1: No More Innocence**

* * *

...Hey. Been a while since we last saw each other, hasn't it? If I were to ask you what you did in the time between your twelfth and thirteenth birthdays I guess you would say you went to school, you hung out with friends, you watched movies and you just... enjoyed your childhood before you started to grow up. Am I right? I'd assume most normal kids may be able to say they did at least some of that.

Well, I'm not really what one could call an ordinary kid. Not anymore.

Since my twelve birthday it's been one long list of disasters and incidents one after another. I'm still having issues even comprehending the fact it all happened, but the fact is this is my life now. A rebel, a freedom fighter and what the powers that be might refer to as a 'terrorist'. I feel terror alright, but... can you blame me, really?

I was reaped for the 74th Hunger Games and endured so much pain, both to my body and my mind. I barely won in the end, alongside a girl named Rue. You... might remember her as my special somebody, eheheh...

That in itself was bad enough, but oh no why stop the trauma there? Fate saw no reason and neither did President Snow. I found myself threatened face to face, rigged into a Quell for twelve year olds only, killed more people, lost a bunch of people I loved... lost my home and my dad... Ula's kidnapped.

...

It's been hard. Harder than hard. I guess very hard? Whatever. They say I'm safe now, here in Thirteen where I've been in the month since the Quell ended, but I'm not sure how much I believe it. Life here is very strict, even for those recovering from all manner of wounds and mental scars. At least the pillows are comfy, I guess.

Today's been coming for a long time. The day where I will be properly introduced to the 'big cheese' around here, President Alma Coin. She wants me as the face of the rebellion, but all I want now is my sister back. Prim too. But Snow has them both in his clutches. If being her 'Mockingjay' helps me get my little sister back then I have no reason to refuse at all.

I... have no idea what is coming. War, yes, but beyond that... What does a second rebellion mean, whether we win or lose? I'm only twelve; how am I supposed to be the hero they need?! I guess I can only try. Maybe just focus on the things I know for sure.

Rue, Hopper, Coral and several of my other friends are safely here with me.

Mom is alive, and always there for me.

...Dory is cheering for me from the Heavenly Dockyard...

My name is Urchin Hook, and I have _**had enough**_. One way or the other, someway somehow someday, I'm putting an end to all of this madness, once and for all!

I blink rapidly, a hand waving in front of my eyes. All at once, everything comes back into focus as I shake my head a bit. The cafeteria of District Thirteen is just as it was when I zoned out during breakfast. Crowded and all objects neatly organised. I'm sitting at a table with Hopper, Coral and Rue. My girlfriend looks at me, having been the one to wave her hand over my eyes.

"You zoned out again," she says, pushing my plate of hardly touched eggs and toast closer to me. "Urchin, you need to eat. You're gonna be all skin and fishbones if you don't."

"Yeah, a twig can't overthrow the Capitol," Coral adds, pushing a bowl of soup towards me. It smells nice, but I'm honestly not hungry.

"This twig got through two Hunger Games," I say, my head in my hands. "I don't think size is really the issue for me right now."

"Yeah, it's just the fact he's the most wanted kid in Panem," Hopper adds buttering his toast. "Can't be fun, having an entire regime wanting you dead. Pass the butter?"

I let my head flop forth to the table with a light thud, groaning. I hear Rue bop Hopper, much to his chagrin. I know he's only trying to lighten the mood, and he's been a big help in the time I've known him... but he could do with a bit more tact and maturity. The way I see it, we all have to grow up and fight if we're ever going to win this rebellion and live to see whatever comes next. But, he appears unaffected by it all. Whether it's just the fact he's got willpower of titanium, or he truly doesn't care if he lives or dies even now, it has me feeling very confused, and a bit jealous to be honest. I miss being able to have even a single day without worrying.

"Ok sorry," Hopper says, buttering his toast as I look back up. "So... when's the meeting gonna be happening?"

I glance down at the underside of my right arm. Here in Thirteen they have this system where they give you a temporary tattoo that shows the schedule of the day. It just so happens that at precisely half past nine I'll be having my long awaited meeting with Alma Coin. So, twenty minutes.

It would have been sooner, but I've not been feeling so good since I got here. I mean, my home was destroyed. District Four is _**gone**_. So many friends and innocent lives were lost. Ula's taken by Snow and I don't dare imagine what may be happening to her or Prim right now. I feel sick at the mere thought, even without any details added.

The short summary is that I've been having repeated freak outs and fits of crying and panic. Rue has done her best to help me through it all, but it's been putting a strain on her as well. It's not like she made it through everything unscathed. Her family are still out there in Eleven and we have no idea if they're safe or not. I glance at her, seeing the exhausted look in her one cheerful, perky eyes. Not to mention how she broke her arm in the Quell and it's still in a sling. The doctors say the cast will be able to come off soon, but... oh, I just don't _know_.

At Rue's insistence I force myself to eat. I hardly even taste it, too busy thinking about both everything and nothing to really savour it.

"So," I say, eventually. I pause, tiredly running my hands through my curls. My signature look, some say. "Where are the others?"

"Timm's writing poetry in his room, Electra had a bit of an episode and her mentor's comforting her... Valkri, I don't know," Rue says. She lays her head on my shoulder. "When do you think we're actually gonna start doing stuff, Urchin? It's been a month and it feels like we've hardly gotten anywhere. Meanwhile, out there people are fighting, killing... it's just wrong. It sucks!"

"It blows too," Hopper adds, finishing his toast. "I don't like Thirteen."

"Why not?" I ask him. "They're giving us a shelter and they're gonna crush the Capitol."

"They also saved my life," Coral adds, quietly. "Without the hovercrafts that evacuated some of us in Four I'd be... be... like Gill and Tack..."

"Tack's not dead," I say, firmly. "He was never confirmed as dead. ...So Hopper, again, why not?"

"I don't like all the rules. It's like we're in a straitjacket and not able to do anything!" he complains, thumping the table. "I've tried to sneak outside for fresh air seventeen times, and I've only gotten outside five times."

"How were those five times in solitary confinement, by the way?" Rue asks, a cheeky smirk on her tired face.

"Boring," Hopper mutters, crossing his arms. "The guard didn't even shoot me when I asked him nicely. I guess he figured solitary was a fate worse than death."

This guy is my room mate here in Thirteen. As you might well expect, it has taken a lot of getting used to. But, at least he's never mad or bothered when I wake up screaming. He just leaps over, calms me down and goes to fetch Rue. I need these guys to function, I guess.

A few minutes pass in this way. Hopper juggling spoons until a guard yells at him to stop, Coral looking to the side in heartbreak much like my own, Rue leaning against me... and myself, just trying to cling to the good memories I've still got. Because, right now, the bad memories are much easier to think about.

Lately, I've been unable to get Dory's death out of my head. My oldest friend, dead in my arms. I had to put on her funeral. Finnick says it was heartbreaking; all of District Four were weeping, he claims. I miss her. She believed in me, far more than I believe in myself.

I shake my head a little. I need to stop doubting myself. I need to strong, courages, brave! More than a so-called 'talking fishbone'.

I look at the clock on the wall, seeing that it reads 9:20. I'm on my feet in an instant, Rue getting up right after me.

"See you guys in a bit," I say to the others as I quickly make my way out of the cafeteria.

"We'll tell you what happens," Rue adds, following behind me. "And boy oh boy, something better happen..."

* * *

 **(A few minutes later...)**

* * *

"So, what do you think she's going to talk to us about?" Rue asks as we walk side by side.

"Probably the-." I begin, only to be cut off.

"And don't say 'the rebellion'," she adds, giggling tiredly. "I just want more details, more idea of what we're all gonna be doing. We're all on the same side, all fighting for a better future..."

My heart flutters as she gently curls her fingers around mine.

"...All fighting for the people we love," she says, quietly.

"I do too. I'm still not happy about how they kept so many things from us," I say, looking off to the side. "Lives could've been saved if we'd known what was really going on. Satella, Farro, Cobalt... Colm... lots of people are dead."

"I think a lot more are going to die soon," Rue says, quietly. "It's getting hard to keep facing every hill and valley with a smile, Urchin. It's starting to make my jaw hurt."

"What kind of a world do we live in where kids like us talk about death like it's so common?" I ask, frowning.

"A bad one," she replies. "Are you going to give Coin and the other rebels a good telling off for keeping us in the dark?"

I shake my head. The thought had occurred to me, and I had certainly been very tempted to cuss them out for lying to us, for using us for their own gain... but, I can't. If I'm to save Ula and Prim, I need to stay on their good side. One wrong move, one toe out of line and they might not be willing to race to the rescue.

But maybe I'm being too harsh. It's not like they could risk the plan getting out, not when that'd get everybody killed and ensure the Capitol would never fall. I'm trying to see it from their perspective, but it's not stopping me from feeling hurt over the whole thing.

"I'm gonna be a good kid, and be their Mockingjay," I say, shaking my head. "In fact, no, we're all being their Mockingjays. All of us Quell kids. We went through that hell together, so we're going to fight in this war together... we'll survive it, _together_."

I pause, taking a breath as I gently squeeze her hand the same way she does to my own.

"They have my sister," I whisper, the thought making me nauseous. "I don't know what they're going to do to her, but... Rue, just the fact Avox's exist and how children die every year in the Hunger Games... I, I..."

I find it hard to breath, choking and wheezing. Rue may be tired, but she's a loyal one and is right in front of me, holding me close with her good arm as my breathing starts to slowly become stable. This is normal for us now. I panic and start to choke, she steps up to hold me until I calm down. It's a drain on her; she's hardly slept lately. Part of me wishes I was in a better state to care for her too. The other part of me wonders if my stunt with the double sided dagger that saved us both makes up for it. Then again, it's what started this whole mess... like I was saying before, I'm hardly a normal kid these days.

"We'll get her back," Rue vows. "We're going to win this war."

"And what comes after that?" I ask her.

She pauses, suddenly lost for words. But, an answer occurs to me soon enough anyway.

"I guess the rest of our lives," I say, a weak smile upon my face. "All this, the traums and everything... well, we're still young. If we win, we have decades to move on and live our lives. One bad year or two won't ruin the rest of our lives, right?"

"Right," Rue agrees.

I'm not certain of my own answer though, and I'm not so sure that Rue is sure of her reply either. I guess time will tell. Speaking of time, we're gonna be late to the meeting if we don't hurry up. Ula is in danger, so I can't just stand here and panic, it's time to get into action.

I take off down the hallway like a blur, and Rue tries her best to keep up with me. She calls for me to wait up, laughing tiredly, but I don't slow for a moment. The sooner I am there the sooner this can be sorted and a rescue mission can be launched.

I force myself to dash faster through the corridors, almost smashing into walls several times. But if it means a better chance to get Ula, and Prim, back with me safe and sound then I'd crash into as many as one hundred walls!

I screech to a halt, my shoes making an echoing squeak as I force myself to a sudden stop. This is it, it has to be Coin's office.

The fact her name is on the door upon a plaque and two guards holding rifles are standing outside of it... yeah, that's proof enough for me.

"I'm here for, uh, my meeting with President Coin and, um..." I can't help my gaze being drawn to those rifles, surely loaded with deadly bullets. "Could you not point those at me?"

"Schedule," the guard on the right says.

I show him the underside of my arm. It's enough to convince him as he steps aside, his buddy doing the same.

"You're cutting this one close," the same guard says. "Almost late."

"Only by a few seconds," I insist.

"Being late can get us killed," the second guard states.

I mumble an awkward remark, one fully inaudible and that I don't even know what it was. I move to enter the door just as Rue runs up, panting tiredly.

"Made it," she wheezes, letting out a weak cheer.

"One second late," the second guard adds, murder in his eyes.

Rue and I exchange a glance, deciding that it's probably better to just get in the room and not spend more time around these grumpy, rifle toting guards than we have to. I open the door for Rue and follow her inside. Out of one confrontation and now into another.

After all, President Coin is sitting at her desk and after just one look I can tell she's a women not to be crossed. Those steely grey eyes of her sure are firm. She looks at Rue and I intently, but... like she's not feeling anything. She just gives a slow nod, pointing to the chairs set up across from her. As we sit down side by side, there's a knock at the door. A moment later it opens up, and I find myself feeling incredibly uneasy.

Plutarch Heavensbee is a man I'm still having to get used to trusting. Not too long ago I'd assumed he was just another Gamemaker out to get me killed. Now it turns out he's been conning Snow for years and is one of the masterminds behind the whole rebellion, Go figure, huh...?

"You're late," Coin drones.

"I had to take a call," Plutarch says. "Contacts in the Capitol, you know we can't ignore them."

"Wait, Capitol contacts?!" I've yelled before I even realise I've done it. Too late to late it back now with how they're staring at me, so I continue. "Is Ula ok?! Is Prim?! Please... I need to know..."

"We all do," Rue adds, nodding her head. "We want to just know something. _Anything_."

Coin doesn't react, calmly ordering some papers on her desk. Plutarch seems sympathetic for a moment, giving a slow nod.

"Details are in limited supply," he admits. "I know for a fact Ula and Prim are both alive, and last I heard they were not harmed. I don't know any further. But, there is one fact you'll want to know."

He paused, pacing for a moment. I bite my tongue to hold back the urge to plead him to hurry up.

"Panem's at war," he says.

"Well, duh!" Rue remarks, rolling her eyes.

"What role are we going to play in that war?" I persist. "Please, it's been a month. I'm 'stable', ok? I'm ready to anything you want, just _please_ can we get started and get my sister back? In fact, let's get all the hostages back while we're at it!"

I breathe deeply, all my worries bubbling to the surface. I've already failed Dory, Gill and many others. I won't fail Ula, and I owe it to Katniss to keep Prim safe. She's the one who helped Rue and I even make it this far. Her role in this 'story' of ours is what dragged Prim into her current situation.

Before I can tale anything back or plead that I'm not crazy Plutarch claps his hands together. Of all things, he looks delighted.

"You're an eager one," he notes. "Looks like we've got the right man for the job."

"And... what job would that be?" I ask him. "What does a Mockingjay even do? I know I'm the face of the rebellion or something, but... does that mean I have to be some kind of super soldier, one with the power of twenty Cato's or something?"

"If you want strong, tough soldiers we're not exactly... big," Rue adds, gesturing to our small sized bodies.

"Not to worry," Plutarch says. "You won't be going out on the battlefield. Certainly not to fight, at least. You're too valuable to the cause."

"Then... what are we gonna be doing?" I ask him, confused.

"You'll be appearing in Propos," Coin says, directing all attention upon herself. "War has broken out, but not everybody is fighting yet. That, or they aren't fighting hard _enough_. But, people admire you Urchin. they look towards you and they see hope. You need to use that image to get everybody to support the rebellion."

"Exactly," Plutarch continues, pacing. "So young and you won the Hunger Games in a never before seen forced tie, and you escaped the Quell arena. You're really quite the icon, and if you can use your charms to swing over all twelve Districts to our side then the Capitol will have nothing. They'd be helpless in the final charge against them."

"Well, it wasn't just me," I mumble, trying my best to sit up straight. "I had a lot of help from my friends, living and... dead. Like, Rue here. You might remember her... really good friend of mine."

" _Just_ really good?" she asks, teasingly.

"Really, really good," I correct myself, turning back to Plutarch and Coin. "And then there's all the other Quell survivors. They all helped in some way, or at least showed me kindness since coming here. Even if they hadn't, they still survived that horrible Quell. Lots of good kids didn't... like Dory..."

I take a moment breath deeply, trying to keep myself stable and relaxed. It's a losing effort, but I want to be sure I don't get so stressed I lose the ability to even speak. My voice is already cracking.

"We all suffered and battled together," I say. "So... I was thinking... why just have one Mockingjay like me? Why not, uh, have an entire flock of them? You have seven kids who survived that Quell, six of them here right now... I guess what I'm saying is that I'm not really anything special amongst us. I'm just one of six, a boy who will do anything to get his sister back. You want me to be in propos? You got it. Just..."

My breath is shaky, and my bones feel horribly chilled as dark thoughts of what Snow may be doing to Ula start to crawl their horrible way into my mind. I try and shake them away, but it's impossible.

"Just get my sister back!" I plead, my eyes wide and fearful. "I'd do anything to save her. She's just a kid."

"Can't you guys rescue her?" Rue asks them while I wipe my eyes a bit. "You said had Capitol contacts... right?"

"That's true, but it's not quite so simple," Plutarch says. "She's in the heart of the Capitol, always under watch. Getting her out would be extremely difficult. Easier, I think, to escape a Hunger Games arena."

"Please... can't we just try?" I whisper.

"...I'll do what I can," Plutarch says. "It won't be an overnight job. It requires a lot of set-up."

To his credit he at least looks apologetic. I guess I understand what he means. The Capitol is sort of like the quarantine area sailors who get really sick out at sea go to. Nothing gets in, or out. The security is like a near unlockable, uh, lock. But please, let them get Ula out. Prim too! Maybe then I'd be able to start properly sleeping again.

Coin snaps her fingers to gain our attention once again. She remains calm and collected, like I'd not spoken. Part of me wants to feel hurt she's not worried for Ula, but... I guess being the leader of Thirteen and the Rebellion means she's got to be strong for all of us, right? I'd call it impressive.

"As I was saying, you'll be making propos," she says, calmly. "We need all twelve Districts on our side before we can overthrow the Capitol. As you may expect, some will be more willing than others. The Peacekeepers will also be an issue; the Capitol may be superfluous by its nature, but their military power is immense."

"District Two..." Rue trails off, just those two words summing up the problem.

Why would Two bother to rebel when they are wholly benefiting from the Capitol's regime? It's not like I ever did them much of a favour along the way, unless you count the fact the break-out saved Valkri's life. I guess her mother would be happy with me, but that's just one person.

"And One," Plutarch adds, frowning. "They have no love for either of you. The little incident with Glimmer at the climax of your first Games, and some of what you said when your Victory Tour was in One, well, you can understand they're unwilling to provide aid."

"...Oh..." Rue trails off, looking guilty. I remember as much as she does that she had some choice words to say to the crowd back in One. I wish people had worse memories than they do.

"Glimmer boiled to death in hot water, I'd call that a bit more than a little incident," I say, firm. As much as she was my enemy and desired to kill me, I can't help but feel bad for Glimmer. Everything feels a lot more grand scale now. In the end, she was just another kid stuck in a terrible situation, just like me. Only difference is, I didn't fall off the Cornucopia that night.

"Either way, it's causing us issues in the present," Plutarch says. I get the sense he really doesn't want to dwell on the past. I don't either, but I think his reasons are different than mine.

"So... well, that's perfect... ish? I mean," I babble for a moment, trying to rapidly find the right words. Aw, fish nuggets... "If you have a whole flock of Mockingjays, that solves it right? If people don't like us, they could just look to Valkri for hope or maybe Timm or Electra or-."

"How is that boy going from Twelve going to inspire anything?" Coin asks, coy.

"Well, he did accuse Snow of having an affair with an Avox and he's still alive. He got away with a lot," Rue giggles, amused at the memory. "He'd have to have kids to have a granddaughter, so..."

"Enough," Coin shakes her head, clearly not wanting to hear more. "Ok... fine. Six Mockingjays, seven _if_ Prim can be rescued. You'll be starting propo work swiftly. There are several scripts and ideas being put forwards that you should be able to handle just fine. You'll be given news on them by tomorrow. That will be all."

"Wait, that's it?" Rue asks, bewildered.

"I don't see what more we have to discuss right now," Coin replies.

"What about my family?" Rue asks, wide eyed. "Are they alright?!"

I put my hand on Rue's shoulder, giving her a firm squeeze. It's not just me who has family worries going on. Rue has her mother and siblings back in Eleven, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't worried about them. Eleven's a very tightly controlled District to begin with, and the rebellion surely has made it worse. Not to mention Rue, my double, is from there... yeah, I sure hope her family have hidden themselves well. I shiver badly over the thought of Rue losing any of her family, just like how I lost my dad...

"You can help them hide, right?" I add, pleading.

"We'll be doing the best we can for them," Coin replies. "There has been no confirmation of their deaths as of yet. Eleven is fighting viciously right now; the Peacekeepers are not having an easy time, thankfully."

Rue doesn't look any happier, and neither do I. Can anything more be done than there already is? ...Yes, yes there can as I'm the frickin' Mockingjay! Well, one of them anyway, but still... if I ask for it, maybe they'd listen? Worth a try.

"Could you, um, maybe use more of your contacts to ensure that they are safe?" I ask, hopeful. "If the Peacekeepers are busy fighting, then maybe you could get people to sneak in and then get them out?"

"It's a possibility," Plutarch says, slowly. "A risky one."

"This is war, right? It's all about taking risks!" I exclaim, standing up tall. ...Not sure what effect I was thinking this would add since I'm not even five feet tall yet... "Rue is worried for her family, you guys have the power to save them... so, uh, do it! If you intend to crush the Capitol, then you have the power to save six innocent people, don't you?"

Plutarch is silent, his poker face not showing anything. Coin is similarly emotionless, though I don't think she's putting anything on. She's ice cold, that one.

"We'll do the best we can," Coin says, giving a slow nod. "You'll get updates as they happen. I can't promise it will be quick, but an effort shall be made."

Rue sniffles, but nods. It's not what she nor I wanted, but at least it's _something_. She takes my hand, giving it a grateful squeeze. A nice feeling, but not the feeling that I'm most focused on. After all, this talk of Rue's family and home has me thinking over my own home.

Four's gone.

"What's Four like?" I ask, quietly.

"Not great," Plutarch says, frowning. "A terrible waste of life, resources and an excellent rebel post. I believe it could be rebuilt over time, but it will be a very gradual effort."

"On the upside, this grim move from Snow did leave the Capitol with a lot less food going in," Coin adds, calmly. I'm both affronted and impressed she can be so calm about this of all things. "The more angry the citizens of the Capitol are, the harder it will become for Snow and his regime to command their forces. Civil unrest will be a problem."

"What does it look like?" I ask, quietly. "...Is it safe to explore?"

"There's no immediate reason to assume the air is unsafe for breathing, but the place is smouldering and broken," Coin says, as if reciting from a script. "Last I heard, the ocean within a two mile radius of the shore is a terrible, polluted mess. You'd not even recognise it."

My gut tightens as I hear this. My home, gone. I feel my eyes filling up with tears, thinking of how all the places I made the happy memories that I still have will be destroyed beyond recognition. There's nothing left.

"Are there anymore survivors?" I ask, softly.

"We got as many people out as we could," Coin tells me. "But time was limited, so we had to evacuate sooner than we would have wanted."

"It was lucky that Thirteen saved as many people as it did," Plutarch adds.

"Did you go back later?" I ask them. "I mean, Four is pretty big. People could've survived the initial bombing."

The only answer I receive is silence. I feel my gut tighten... they seriously didn't go back to check for more people? They had a whole month! People could be alive, and in serious peril right now. Thet need a rescuer, or at least somebody bold enough to go out there and try.

I've never considered myself very bold. Any survivors need a hero, but as we don't have one I guess I'm the best we have. If Tack is still alive out there, and anybody else too, I have to at least go and try to save people. I need to _try_.

"...I want to go back," I say, quickly. "To Four."

"Impossible," Coin says. "It's too dangerous."

"But you said the area wasn't unsafe to breathe," I say, my voice shaky. I swallow hard, trying to be brave, "Please, people could be trapped and needing rescue!"

"The odds are hardy even one percent, it's not practical," Coin says.

"There's still a chance," I reply, taking a deep breath. "I've seen so much death... can't we just try and prevent more people from dying? Please, I need to see it for myself."

"We only have so many hovercrafts," Plutarch says, stepping forwards. "I understand your concern, but think about this practically. It's been a month, it's unlikely there will be survivors."

"Unlikely doesn't mean impossible," I say, after a pause. "It was unlikely I'd leave the arena alive, even less likely Rue would join me, but it happened anyway. It's not so impossible that there might be people there needing help."

"Yeah, he's right. You were willing to help my family in a place full of Peacekeepers. So, why no help Urchin explore a place you think has no people," Rue adds, nodding rapidly. "Actually..."

Rue ponders for a few moments, a gleam in her eyes as she snaps her fingers. Like a spark, her face is suddenly alight more than it has been in weeks. The look fades fast, but I lean forth in anticipation to what she's come up with.

"Why not film a propo of Urchin look for survivors?" Rue suggests, giving me a wink. "If we're inspiring people, then what is more inspiring than seeing Urchin save people who are trapped, hurt and scared? He certainly looks the part... why not let him show he's not just handsome, but a hero too?"

"Y-yeah!" I agree, blushing just a tad. "That! Film it as it happens, I'll find a bunch of people needing rescue and we can bring them back. We'd be saving people that the Capitol almost doomed. I mean, you're ok to come with me, right Rue?"

"Always," she assures me, weakly smiling. She yawns, tired. "The other Mockingjays might want to come too."

"I can't allow this. You could both get killed, and the rebellion would die," Coin says, firm as ever. She hardly even changes her expression, merely giving her head a slow shake. "No."

"Actually, Alma, I think the girl might be onto something here," Plutarch says. "If they were given trackers and sent in with the proper gear, a camera crew and a few guards just in case... this really could be the propo we're looking for. You and I both know that the scripts still need a few tweaks as it is."

Coin seems like she's upset, but she hardly shows it. She looks to the side, frowning deeper for a moment before she gives a slow nod.

"Two days of going over the proper skills and training they will need. After that, we'll evaluate them and see if they are ready for the mission," Coin says, staring at Rue and I. "If you're not deemed ready for the mission, you won't be going until you pass all the relevant tests."

"We'll train hard," I assure her, grateful. Relief washes over me like some kind of pleasant tidal wave. "I scored a ten for the Quell, and an eight before all this really began. I can pass whatever training you need me to."

"Me too!" Rue adds. "My arm's almost better now, so I should be good to go."

Coin gives a slow nod, while Plutarch claps his hands. He looks more delighted than a starving family being given free fish.

"Glad we're all in agreement then," Plutarch says. "Your schedules will have to be readjusted, but I think it won't cost us anymore than five minutes to do that. Good talk you two. Keep it up, and you'll be inspiring the Districts in no time."

It's not long after that before Rue and I are back in the halls and walking side by side. glancing at our now updated tattoos. Seems like the first thing on the list is first aid. As good a place to start as any, right? I can't help feeling heartache as my mind wanders on the topic, though. Dory was always the medic of the group and now she's... she's...

"Need a one armed hug?" Rue offers.

"...That would be nice, thanks," I agree.

And so, we embrace. It's nice, just holding each other in this gentle way. Like we're the one two people in the world... and with how many people are sure to die in the rebellion, maybe it's not so impossible we'd be the only two people left. We were already once the last two people alive in a forest.

We part and continue on our way before I start to overthink again. But, I can't stop my mind wandering to images of District Four. I've not even seen pictures of the place after the bombing, but it's not hard for my mind to create one sickly image. It's not a pleasant thought. I can only hope my brain is exaggerating the destruction, but honestly... I doubt it.

I can't help sparing a thought for Gill, confirmed to be dead from the bombing. What was his last thought? Ho scared was he in those final moments of his? ...Is Tack still alive, or was he blown up as well?

I take a deep breath, trying not to shiver too much. I'll be finding out the answer to that last question soon enough, and I hope with all my heart that he managed to take shelter!

* * *

 **(Later...)**

* * *

Another day over, another day closer to... well, whatever awaits us. Unlike the norm, where I just lay on my bed and stress myself out over the lack of knowing anything, tonight I feel better. Well, somewhat. I still feel those feelings of pain and dread filling me up from bottoms of my toes to the tips of my curls, but at least now I have some idea of what to do next.

It's hardly a peaceful night, though. Though, sharing a room with Hopper makes it more of a wonder that I had been expecting anything different. He does have a habit of being particularly loud. Tonight though, the noise comes less than from him babbling about some crazy scheme to humiliate Snow and his ministers and instead him going over all the things he's learnt today. With how disruptive he normally is it's left me surprised that he's taken to the lessons so well.

I prop myself up on my side, observing Hopper as he recites several first aid tips to himself. The basic stuff like bandaging a wound, clenching a cut to stop bleeding, that kind of stuff. It's impressive to see that he paid so much attention. Surely he never learnt it back at the training centre like I did.

I mean, this is the boy who scored a zero. It's not even meant to be possible!

"You seem like you've learnt a lot," I say, still on my side. "What's the occasion?"

"Oh, Urchin, do I really need some special occasion to pay attention in a class?" Hopper asks me, chuckling.

"Yes. You do," I say, flatly. "You're the same boy who threw a shoe at President Snow during his speech at the parade. It's just... you do not listen to people. Ever. Not unless you have some personal motive."

"Hmmm, true, true," he says, sitting on his own bed. "Well, I've been pretty bored being stuck in this place for so long. Routines, rules, no freedom... I didn't take part in a rebellious breakout just to be forced into following more strict rules. But..."

"...But?" I prompt him to continue, wondering where he's going with all this.

"Well, you're going to the wreckage of Four. I can only do what if I am deemed to be capable enough out there in the 'outside world. The only way to do that is for me to pay attention and learn the skills," Hopper says, casually. "So, I figure if I behave myself and listen to these people I'll get to go out there and have some real fun."

I feel a pang in my chest at the word 'fun'. I know he doesn't mean it badly, but... it's my home and it's destroyed. Not much fun if you ask me.

"It's not a fun outing," I mumble, laying down to stare up at the ceiling. "Hopper, people died out there. It's horrible."

"Aye, it is," he agrees, nodding. "But, we can save people in really cool ways. It'll be great, being heroes. I mean, seriously, this is the first meaningful thing I'll have ever done in my life."

He laughs again, a little wistfully as he lays down.

"Timm said he doesn't want to go, and chances are Electra won't be allowed out there. I think they said she's 'too unaware' or whatever way they said it. But me... I've got no family, no friends really and Twelve is a poor, hopeless place. Honestly Urchin I figured I'd die before I turned fifteen and I made peace with that," he says, so casually that it's actually a little spooky.

We're silent for a few moments, just staring up at the featureless ceiling.

"I expected to die in that arena," he continues, taking a moment to blow his messy fringe out of the way of his eyes. "But, here I am. Suddenly Urchin, death doesn't feel inevitable nor my life pretty much forfeit. It feels like I can actually, well, do something now. It's strange, feeling like I now have a life to live."

He turns on his side, facing me with a wicked sort of gleam in his eyes.

"You know, maybe once we kick Snow's ass and send that bearded old bastard to hell... maybe I could ask Madge out," Hopper says, giggling at the thought.

"Who's Madge?" I ask him, perhaps more curious than I should be. I guess you could say romance makes me feel... inclined to listen, I guess? It's a nice topic.

"Daughter of the mayor back home," he replies, dreamy for the briefest of moments. "She's lovely."

"Oh, she your classmate?" I ask him, smiling.

"Nah, she's seventeen now," he says, idly as can be.

"...I think you're probably too young. I speak from experience, I asked Marina out once..." I say, blushing at the memory.

"I won't know for sure unless I try, eh?" he teases, giggling. "I know she and Prim are friends, so... maybe once we save Prim and get her back home safe and sound Madge may give me her number?"

"I fully agree that saving Prim is really, really important. Damn, the poor girl... I'm scared Hopper. I'm scared to imagine what the Capitol might be doing to her and Ula," I shiver, gagging a bit. It's hard not to puke as the terrible thoughts swim around my mind.

We're silent for a few moments longer.

"...Do you even have a phone?" I ask him, eventually.

"If we win this war, I could always get one," he says, casually. "Don't worry Urchin, we're gonna get them back, ok? We'll save them, we'll punch Snow in the balls and we're gonna look awesome doing it. We'll kill him together, and it's gonna be great."

I just nod, soon laying down to try and get some sleep. As I close my eyes, trying to relax and claim a few hours of sleep for myself, I find my heart becoming heavy. Any thought of my sister always makes me feel like this. She's only five, soon to be six... but that won't save her from Snow's wrath. I wish I could just see her for myself. I don't care if it's propaganda or a threat, I just want to see that she's alright!

I hope Hopper's right...

* * *

 **(Time goes by...)**

* * *

Growing up, I'd always been told that Thirteen's industry was graphite mining. Now, I didn't exactly doubt this but I always found it a little odd that the place was so big and yet their industry was pretty... small scale? Well, it all makes sense now that I know their main thing is actually nuclear weapons.

Such as the payload of bombs I'm looking at right now!

I stand with the rest of the Quell survivors, staring at all the missiles, bombs and other such weapons. It's one true arsenal, one the District intend to send right up the Capitol's... well... I think you get the wordplay going on here.

"Big... powerful..." Electra mumbles, looking nervously at the sight of a particularly tall missile. "Shiny..."

"I want it," Hopper says, matter-of-factly.

"None of you are going anywhere near those things," says the man overseeing us, Boggs I think his name is. "We're just giving all of you a showing of what will be used to fight the battles ahead and the safety techniques used when exploring a place that has been struck by weapons such as these. A place such as District Four. From what we know, it's a combination of firebombs and some particularly nasty gas bombs. If Plutarch is correct about who was behind the latter type of bomb, you're all going to need to be careful."

I feel like the eyes of the others are all on me right now, but I try not to pay attention to that. I remain staring ahead, concentrating on nothing except Boggs and what he might tell us.

As it turns out, lesson one is how to put a gasp mask on quicker and safely. It takes a moment to get it on with how my curls get in the way, but it's nothing I can't figure out fast. After winning the Hunger Games, how hard is it to put on a gas ask? Not very. Though, looking around it seems like a few of the others have some issues.

Hopper and Valkri have got theirs on already, Hopper looking pleased while Valkri remains stoic. Rue seems to be struggling with hers being too tight, so I don't waste time in moving over to assist her. She give me a smile, letting me make the needed adjustments. Thankfully it's an easy matter; just like putting on a diving mask, really.

Of course, it's not that easy for everybody. Timm is struggling with his own gas mask, almost falling over as he thrashes around with it, while Electra just sits down and plays around her hers, softly giggling as she does so. If you ask me, I don't think that Electra is going to be allowed to come on this mission no matter what she does, and even if Timm wanted to come I'm thinking they'd tell him no.

"This is embarrassing," Timm groans, the gas mask now stuck on him in reverse. "Little help?"

Timm tries to move to the side, only succeeding in tripping over Electra. I leap forth to catch him, stopping him a second before he hits the floor. Boggs observes us, shaking his head for a moment.

"Magnus!" he yells, so suddenly that we all jump. "Could you keep an eye on Miss Mauve and Master Notch while the rest of us continue to go over the lesson? I don't think they're ready for the next part yet."

"Yes sir," a voice responds.

Out from behind several missiles and setting down some tools walks Magnus. As in, the same Magnus of District Two who won the Seventy Third Hunger Games. Quite unusual for a Career, he doesn't look proud or the slightest bit cocky. He just looks tired, especially when he looks over us. His gaze lingers on Valkri for a moment, but he soon leads Electra and Timm off to the side. I watch them for a moment, the young Victor giving them a more slow, step by step explanation as to how to put a gas mask on.

I can't help feeling a little uneasy being near Magnus. I don't think he's bad person, but he did kill six people in his Games and some of it was exceptionally brutal. He did kill Rind with a brick. As in, Rind... elder brother of Cobalt, the dead boy from Ten of the Quell.

If only he'd come with me...

But, I try to push those sorts of thoughts out of my mind as I continue to listen to Boggs. After we get past his explanation on gas masks he starts talking us through avoiding fires, gas leaks - the typical danger zones, I guess - and how to get rid of any contamination if we're exposed to something dangerous. It's like a blur as it all flies by. I'm trying my best to pay attention and ensure I can pass this to a level Boggs finds satisfying.

Though, I'm not the one who he deems as the star performer. Oh, I'm sure that I'm not doing badly as he's not sent me off nor given me critique like he has to Rue - which, as one of her arms is in a sling, is no shock - but clearly Boggs is finding Valkri and Hopper to be the pair with the most potential. Valkri's already trained, so I guess it's business as usual for her. But Hopper, that is still a surprise to see.

"You two have the potential to be good soldiers," Boggs tells them. "We need soldiers, anybody who can fight or at least know what to do out on the battlefield."

"I thought we wouldn't be going near the actual fighting?" I ask, nervous.

"That's the plan, but there's nothing stopping the Capitol crossing paths with you," Boggs replies. "You'll need to be ready for anything."

"Even an elephant mutt?" Hopper asks.

"Plutarch says the Capitol has one in a pod somewhere," Boggs says, as unhappy to say it as I am to hear it. "Do not engage it or any other mutts if you see them. Always try to flee first if you can."

It's not long before Boggs dismisses us, after giving us a step by step guide on something called 'HALO jumping'. A form of sky diving that can come in handy on a mission. They say the ground of Four is wrecked and not overly stable, so jumping down from above may be the only way to get in. It makes me wonder how they'd get us back out, but I guess they have something in mind... right?

After Boggs leaves, followed by Hopper, Timm and Electra I decide to stick around a bit. I'm not sure what it is that compels me to do it, but I end up approaching Magnus. I hold back for a moment, beaten to him by Valkri.

"Hey," Magnus says as she approaches him. "How're you hanging in there Val?"

"...Is mummy safe?" she asks him, seriously. "Please Magnus, I need to know she's alright."

"I'm really sorry, but I don't have that kind of information," Magnus replies, apologetic. "I could try asking Plutarch, but I don't know how much he'd know either."

"But I need to know, please!" Valkri begs, trembling. "Please... you're my mentor... I was always told a tribute's mentor knows everything..."

"Not me," Magnus says, sitting on a crate. "I was never the typical Career tribute. In fact, I never really got to be much of a Victor."

Valkri nods, stiffly. She doesn't hold for long before she sniffles. I remember fearing this girl who scored so high, assuming her to be an ice cold killer who'd be my greatest challenge - well, greatest besides Colm anyway - but here she is sobbing. It really shows that, whatever our District, we're just kids really. Difference is, my mother is here in Thirteen.

Magnus gently takes Valkri in for a soft hug. I exchange a glance with Rue, feeling that maybe we should just leave the pair from two alone for a bit. Rue nods, so we turn to leave.

"Hey," Magnus says.

Why do people always choose to wait until I'm leaving before they actually speak to me? I turn back alongside Rue, seeing Magnus is now looking at us. I'm not sure what to say nor of what I may hear from him. I know he got called a bit of a 'wimpy Career', but six kills is nothing to sneeze at.

"Urchin and Rue, Seventy Four," he notes. "...Magnus, Seventy Three. Nice to meet you both."

I'm silent, wondering what to say. He's friendly, so already it's going better than I could have hoped for.

"Do you mean that?" Rue asks, unsure. "I mean, Urchin got Cato killed and he kinda lured Clove to the land mine."

"Unintentionally!" I am quick to add. "I did _not_ know it was there!"

"I know, I know!" Rue yelps, sheepish. "And... well, it's not like it's a secret we've never really, uh, liked the Career way of seeing the Games."

"You got my tribute out. That's good enough for me," he says, simple as that. "Honestly, I never really bought into the glamour of the Games like a lot of people back home do. I was reaped, remember, not a volunteer. I was just so strong nobody wanted to take my place."

He shakes his head, a bitter chuckle exiting his mouth as he sighs.

"I wish that boy from Ten made it here. Cobalt, right? Just... just so I could do something, anything, to show him how so fucking sorry I am for what I did to his brother," Magnus shudders, closing his eyes. "I meant to do it quick and clean with the spear. I missed. A brick was all I had."

He looks up, still holding Valkri in a gentle hug, and stares at Rue and I. We don't dare look away from the Victor before us, our direct predecessor if you will.

"Most Victors get broken from the attention they receive, the 'fans' they meet, everything... I was never popular, really, but you two pulling that stunt you did... whoa," he says, his eyes suddenly wider. A faint smile flickers upon his dark face. "You know, you both took all of the attention away from me. Aside from mentoring Cato, I never really had to be a Victor at all. _ **Thank you**_."

"You're welcome," I tell him, quietly. It feel awkward being thanked for all tat when neither Rue nor I ever planned on helping Magnus with what we did. It was just a side effect. But, if it makes him happy, that's a good thing. "Are you, uh, coming on the mission to Four?"

"I am," he says, giving a slow nod. "I'll be keeping Valkri safe, just in case. Besides, I want to save people if they are still there. I'm good at killing... I'd rather be good at saving. Plus, I've been in an abandoned city before; you could say I'm experienced at surviving in a destroyed area."

Rue and I leave shortly after his, letting the Two's have some time by themselves. I have to wonder what they're thinking of this rebellion. Their District is overall really nice and not really the kind to rebel much, if ever. I won't say no to their help though. I sure am going to need it.

"You know, maybe it's just because I've seen a lot of Career tributes being nasty on TV growing up, but I find it a little strange to see those two being so... sensitive," Rue says as we walk along to our next scheduled lesson, knife fighting.

"I do too," I admit, as we round a corner. "It makes me wonder what Cassius may have been like if he was here too. But..."

"...Yeah," is all Rue says. What more can be said about his gruesome death?

We're silent as we continue on our way. We're silent for a fair while once we get to knife training as well. There's only so much you can say about death before all that remains is one sickly, queasy silence.

And yet, death is surely what I'll be seeing plenty of once I get to Four. Come on Urchin, toughen up. Be the hero these people need. Be that, and Ula will be saved faster. It brings a tear to me, thinking of the last time we saw each other in Four after I got reaped a second time.

No! It won't be the last time I see her. It won't!

* * *

 **(The next day...)**

* * *

I look at myself in the mirror, hardly recognising the boy who looks back at me. Same curls as me. Same freckles as well. But, the kid who used to look back at me is long dead. I feel like a shell of myself, more than any of the shells on the beaches of Four. Well, the shells that were there before the bombing. They're probably all destroyed now.

I place a hand to the mirror, my reflection's hand moving to meet it. It's me. But it's not. I shouldn't look like this; exhausted, dead in the eyes, trembling from the paranoia that plagues me. I should just look like any normal twelve year old.

Panem is cruel, so I should hardly feel surprised... plus, it's not like many twelve year olds are perfectly happy, I guess. Not when they could be like me, reaped for trauma at best and death at worst.

It's a locker room that I'm standing in, all alone. Hopper already got himself suited up, so right now I'm all alone. It won't be long until the Hovercraft is ready to head off, but I just can't get my legs to take me there yet.

I need to be alone for a bit.

So, here I am, standing all alone. Gone are the casual clothes I once had loaned to me. Instead, I'm in a soldier outfit made specifically for me. I'd like to think they don't make lots of outfits like this for people my size. That'd be far too many child soldiers. The dark camouflage pattern looks so... wrong to see on myself. I can't explain it. The helmet perched atop my curls also feels like it shouldn't be there.

But this is me now, like it not not. I'm a soldier. I'm a fighter. I'm something that might resemble a hero... kind of.

I'm one of the Mockingjays, and of the flock I'm the one that Panem has their eyes on most of all.

I need to show them what I've got.

The door opens and I look up, worried that one of the scary guards with the scarier rifles is here to order me to get a move on. But no, it's just Finnick. Always nice to see my Uncle. Like me, he's fairly weary but hanging in well enough. After all, he does have Annie here with him. They keep each other feeling their best, I guess.

I always knew they were close, even before Annie was reaped. Not much gets past me, you know. Except, well... all the things that do.

"Ready to go?" he asks me.

"...No, I don't," I mumble. "Finnick... our home. It's destroyed. Nothing's left."

He kneels a little to be level with me. We're silent for a bit, just looking into the mirror. He slowly nods.

"I feel the same," Finnick says. "But the people back there, they're your friends. My friends. Our neighbours, or maybe just people we know in passing. They're like us; citizens of Four. We're gonna save them, together and with the rest coming along too."

"I hope we're not too late," I say, gagging at he grisly thought. "...And here I am stalling. What's wrong with me?!"

"A long list, but... I'd honestly put it under Post Traumatic Stress Disorder," Finnick says. "It's a common enough story in Victors, soldiers, people who survive extreme danger... all three of those apply to you."

"...And you?" I ask him.

"Yes," he says, uneasy. "You'll hear all about it in time. Just... when you hear everything I have to say, about what I did and the secrets I learnt, just remember I was doing it to protect you."

"What do you mean?" I ask him, lost and honestly pretty unnerved.

"Just that I now how it feels to lose all the light you once had in life," he replies, still looking at the mirror. "But, you know what I see when I look in that mirror?"

"A broken boy and a man with his own scars too?" I guess.

"...Ok, real talk, when did your generation become so moody?" Finnick asks, joking a bit... I think? "No, Urchin... I see two young men, a former and current holder for the title of Youngest Victor. Two men who are going out there to save some people in need of help. Are the men hurting? yes, but they won't let it stop them. They'll be brave, powerful, dashing... distracting~."

Finnick strikes a sort of pose, one that leaves me with my eyebrow raised. Is that one of the poses the Capitol women, and Marina, used to go wild over? I'll never understand flirting.

"Well, Annie finds it distracting," he says, chuckling. "Come on, we have to get going now or they won't hesitate to go without us."

"You sure?" I ask, wincing at the thought. "It's our home though!"

"All the more reason to hurry," Finnick says, already leading me out. "Your first mission as a Mockingjay awaits."

"...After two Hunger Games, how bad can it be?" I ask, letting Finnick lead me along. "Surely not that bad, right?"

Yet, a nasty feeling in the button of my gut makes me feel like I shouldn't make assumptions such as that. Fate and life as a whole has this little tendency of making sure things keep on getting worse. I once thought bad luck got me reaped last year, but now... now, part of me thinks it may have been fate.

Maybe the pre-mission anxiety is just making me think weird stuff. I just gotta think a few happy thoughts. Maybe that'll make me feel better.

I try to think of the future Rue and I could have after this war is won. A flicker of a smile appears on my face when I think of the idea of a boat date. That would be lovely. Assuming we live long enough to make it happen.

* * *

 **(Later...)**

* * *

Sitting here in one of the oversized chairs in the hovercraft, I feel a nasty sensation rising in my gut. It's all too similar to the hovercrafts rides I was forced onto when going to the arenas I had to kill or be killed in. Sitting here, my legs not even reaching the ground, it feels like I'm a tribute all over again.

Unlike the past two times, though, Rue is not here with me. She had to stay behind in Thirteen just like Electra and Timm did. She didn't pass enough of the tests, they say. I feel so alone without her, but at least she'll be safe back in Thirteen. maybe her cast will finally be off by the time I get back?

Electra seemed upset she couldn't come on the 'pretty flying car' as she called it, while Timm was more than happy not to come. He claims to be scared of flying. Plus, he said he was going to write some poetry. Apparently it might help with the propos. Timm's good with his words, so... I'll trust he knows what he's talking about.

Looking up from my seat at the corner I glance around the room. It's not filled up by any means. Only 'the best' could come along apparently, but when the best includes me, Hopper, Valkri, Finnick, Magnus, Boggs and a camera crew assigned to film the mission... is it wrong that it makes me a little worried about this rebellion's future?

Coral wanted to come too, but they said she didn't have sufficient clearance. I tried to speak on her behalf, but Coin wasn't having it. Coral certainly threw quite a fit over it, but in the end she just ran off. Hopefully she'll be alright. Maybe if I could find some survivors then she might cheer up a little.

Maybe I could find Tack. He's not a confirmed death, so until further noticed I am forcing myself to believe he might still be alive. ...Stranger things have happened, right?

"I've never been to Four," Valkri says from her seat beside me. Her tears are long gone, and her firm, cold look of focus is back. "What was it like?"

"Well, it was a nice place. A fine smell of fish and salt, people always busy and cheerful... foghorns of boats always able to be heard. It was a great place to live," I say, the memories painful to think of. "But now, well, I'm scared for what we're going to see. We all know what they showed about Thirteen on TV, but Thirteen was never really dead. Four was meant to die, it could be even worse!"

"Calm," Valkri says. "Cam. Be calm. You can't control what you'll see, but you can control how you react to it. You'll be on camera, you need to be strong."

Valkri takes a deep breath, closing her eyes.

"I need to be strong too," she mutters. "The Games are wrong, and I see that for myself now. The only way they can end is if the Capitol ends. The only way the Capitol will end is if I am brave and strong."

She narrows her closed eyes, like she's trying to find some form of peace. Her breathing is slow, but hard. I move to put a hand n her shoulder, but she raises her hand before I can. I take the hint, backing off.

"Don't touch me, please," she says, firm. "I'm on your side, Urchin. But... no contact."

I nod, leaving the topic at that. Getting back to glancing around I see Hopper is gleeful in his seat, eager to get things started. I'm surprised he's not started to cause trouble after being seated for hours, but he's really been on his best behaviour. Boggs said he's taken a real shine to the 'soldier life' and I guess it shows. I can only wonder how my friend might react to seeing the most likely terrible destruction done to District Four.

"Ready to go Urchin?" he asks me, excited.

"...Yes," I say after a moment. "I need to be there. Home. If anybody's left, I can't keep them waiting."

"Right there with you," Hopper says, saluting with a gun.

Where did he get the gun!?

"It's not loaded," Boggs tells me, seeing my alarm. He gives a reassuring nod. "Ammo is loaded in once we land. All the same... Private Vigo. Gun down, now."

Hopper obeys, crossing his arms as the eagerness seems to suddenly deflate from him. I, meanwhile, feel glad that he's not got a loaded weapon yet. This is the boy who waged a one boy war on the Gamemakers and accused Snow of being in an affair with an Avox. What sane person would give him a _**gun**_!?

We're silent for a bit longer as the hovercraft flies through the sky. It's a good thing none of the Capitol hovercraft have seen us. Just one missile would be all it'd take to... I'll just try not to think about it. Yep, that's what I will do.

...It's hard not to think about it!

Time passes, but eventually the intercom comes to life. I guess it's the pilots saying we're due to land soon. Ok, deep breaths... first mission, first impression as Mockingjay. It'll be just like the parade, except maybe twenty times more important. I can do this, I can do this.

"Attention passengers," says the pilot, "It appears the ground is too unstable to land upon. The areas that are stable remain on fire or otherwise impossible to safely come to a landing at. We will have to spend time looking for a safe landing spot or you will have to get down there and clear up some space."

The pilot pauses for a moment. I hear the unmissable sound of a small, tired sigh.

"Either way, you're all going to have to HALO jump your way down to the ground," she continues. "You've had training in this, I have been told. Hovercraft is being stabilised and slowed while you all suit up and over it again. Prepared to disembark in seven minutes."

Wait, what?

What?!

"We're sky diving?!" I shriek, trying to control my breathing.

"Kick ass!" Hopper cheers, leaping up. "Me first!"

"No, not until we go over the basics again," Boggs says, firmly. "All of you young ones are jumping attached to one of the adults. Private Vigo, you're with me. Private Hook, you're with Finnick. Private Second Class Rune, you're with Magnus."

"How come Valkri ranks higher than us?" Hopper asks as I move to stand beside him.

"She _is_ a Career," I reply, shrugging awkwardly. "Ranks don't matter. Reaching the ground at a speed that won't kill us does."

Boggs gives us the rundown as before. I guess as the adults are doing the bulk of the work this is more for them than us, but I pay attention all the same. The proper form, how leaning forth in a streamlined fashion makes us fall faster and when to pull the parachute cord. That sort of stuff. We suit ourselves up, Finnick giving me a reassuring nod.

"We're going to be fine," he tells me. "I had to do this for a few 'friends' in the Capitol once or twice. It's easy."

I sure hope he's right. By the time Boggs is satisfied that we know what to do, only three minutes remain before the drop off. The back platform of the hovercraft slowly opens up, the air suddenly billowing around us and the cold of the sky getting in. I can't help shivering as I put my goggles on. At least it seems like a sunny day out there. I'm hardly an expert, but I'd assume doing this in a rainstorm would be dangerous.

It's just like with fishing out at sea. There are some things you're better off not doing during a rainstorm.

"The plan is simple," Boggs says as he drags over a crate of parachutes. Is it just me, or does the lid on that thing look tampered with? The box says 'sealed'. Maybe I'm overthinking this. "We HALO jump in tight formation until we reach four thousand feet. A beep on your standard issue wrist watches will confirm the time to you. Pull the cord as quickly after as you can manage. I'll fall an additional three hundred feet and head towards a suitable location. You all come after me. If anybody misses the landing zone, I'll fire off a flare and you will head towards it right away. Understand?"

It's all very basic stuff if you ask me, so we all quickly confirm that we get it. Satisfied, Boggs reaches for a parachute... uh...

...Why did an arm just offer the parachute to him?

"Thanks," Boggs says, slinging it on. "...Wait, WHAT?"

Boggs wastes no time in kicking the crate over, already with a knife in hand. I'd be impressed by his quick reactions if I wasn't alarmed that he's looming over Coral with a knife. She just tumbled out of the box after all.

That'll be why the lid didn't look solid. She opened it... and stowed away... aw, dammit...

"..Surprise?" she says, an uneasy look on her face. The fake smile reminds me of the one I've had on lately.

Anything I could say to her is forgotten when Boggs beats me to it.

"What are you doing here?" he asks, firm and without patience. Amazingly, he keeps his voice level, not resorting to screaming. "You did not have clearance to come here. You should not be here."

"...It's my home too," Coral says, trembling. She stands firm, on the tips of her toes. She still barely comes up to Boggs' height. "I'm a citizen of Four. I have just as much right to be here as Urchin or any of the Mockingjays!"

"No, you don't," Boggs says, somehow keeping his voice low. "You stowed away - a fact I am still stunned actually worked without you being caught - and are hundreds of miles away from where you are supposed to be. You're missing your schedule and... Coin is going to be angry. You're going to be in _**severe**_ trouble once you get back."

"He's right Coral," Finnick says. He's less angry than Boggs. In fact, my uncle even looks a tiny bit amused, but he's still firm. "What was the end goal here? This was impulsive and reckless. You-."

"I just need to know if Tack is alive!" she squeals. She gulps. "I... I need to know. I need to help; it's my home. My friends. Please, just-."

"Turbulence incoming," says the head pilot over the intercom. "One minute until the drop off."

Boggs quickly passes the adults some parachutes and pinches the bridge of his nose, sighing.

"You will be staying on this hovercraft," he says to Coral. "Once the hovercraft is able to land, you might be allowed to explore in very select areas. For now, be seated, be silent and behave. This is not a game, this is a mission. It's war. Stowing away... what were you thinking?"

Coral wipes away a tear, standing her ground as before. She glances at me, practically pleading.

"Urchin, you understand don't you?" she asks me. "You couldn't stay away from home. I c-couldn't either."

I do understand, she's correct. I'm the reason we're doing this mission in the first place. But, what am I meant to say to her? Tell Coral she was right to disobey the rebels who are helping us win this war... helping us get Ula and Prim back? Right to put herself on a mission she's been told she wasn't meant to go on nor had the appropriate skill level to join? I ponder what to say, while my film crew start to turn on their camera gear. I hear the women mention taking an aerial shot.

My thoughts are interrupted when the turbulence hits, making the hovercraft rattle. Myself and the other young ones all yell in alarm, but Boggs just raises a hand as he stands in place, rooted to the spot.

"It's all perfectly normal. The hovercraft can take it," he assures us. "Attach to your jumping partner-."

"HELP!"

Coral's blood-curdling scream becomes the centre of my entire world. My heart lurches when the turbulence knocks her off of her feet and right towards the open platform. Boggs lunges for her, but with a terrified shriek she tumbles right out of the hovercraft, starting to fall down below.

I react in an instant. I ignore all yells to stop, all shouts to cease. Before I know what's come over me I've grabbed a parachute, slug it on tight and dashed towards the open platform Coral just fell from.

"I'm coming!" I shout, leaping from solid ground to the sky outside.

All shouts behind me swiftly become distant. The only sounds that fill my ears are the rushing of the wind that blows my curls around wildly and the distant cries of Coral below me.

I failed Dory. I failed Gill. I failed Katniss, I failed Tack, I failed a lot of kids in the Quell... I failed dad... I've failed a lot of people, if you ask me. But, as my heart pounds, I know that I _**refuse**_ to fail Coral too. She was reckless to come along, true, but she's not going to die from it. Not today!

My heart pounds horribly, fear filling me up as I fall faster than I'd imagine to be possible. I swallow back the vomit. I was reckless too; I just jumped off a hovercraft, what was I thinking?!

I guess I was just thinking of how somebody is in danger and that I might as well start acting like a Mockingjay and do what I can to help.

The ground is still far below, but it's not got much of my attention at the moment. How could it when Coral remains in so much danger? I fall fast, but she's still a fair distance below me.

Recalling what Boggs said, I angle myself so that my legs are up high behind me and my head is right down. My stomach feels like it just back-flipped from how my speed just got a lot faster.

"I'm coming!" I call to her, but I hardly hear my own voice.

If she said or even screamed something in response I hardly hear it. The air billowing around me makes it impossible to hear much. Slowly but surely, I'm starting to close in on her.

The ground is getting closer too.

Boggs said we have to pull the cord at four thousand feet in the air. I expected that it would be a lot, but with how fast we're falling I suddenly realise this is a lot less than it seemed. If I remember it right from school, hovercrafts - at least, the ones that fly to the arenas every year - typically fly at almost twelve thousand feet. I've probably already fallen a few thousand by now.

Time's running out!

I hold my arms to my sides, keeping them straight like a paddle. I point my feet up as best as I can. Anything to keep me going faster than the speed Coral is falling.

"Please, please, please," I stammer, close to being sick or, worse yet, passing out.

Coral's hoarse screams fill my ears, getting a bit louder by the second. Almost got her!

She looks at me, her eyes wide and her iris' shrunken in a look of pure fear. Nobody should ever have that sort of a look on their face. She holds out her arms, trying to reach me as I keep narrowing the gap. Almost, almost!

Just as she's a few inches away from being able to grab me I hear my wrist watch let out a loud beep.

Four thousand feet, and I've still not reached her. Shit!

"Grab hold me of me!" I yell, desperate. "We're running out of time! Lay flat, you might fall slower!"

Coral's tears pour down her face, some of them flying off and getting left behind in the sky behind us. She lays as I asked, spread out like a starfish. I'm not sure how much difference it really makes, but it clearly makes just enough as I fall close enough to grab Coral a few heart pounding second later. She breathes rapidly, her words inaudible as she clings to me like a clamp. I choke, having issues breathing from the force of her right hold. I hear her babbling 'sorry' over and over again, but I can't make anymore sense of her words than that.

I'm about to reach for the cord, but that's when it hits me. I can't reach it without letting go of her. If I dropped her... no. I can't risk that. Not now, not when I just reached her!

"Coral!" I bark out. "Pull the red cord, _**now**_! _**Now**_!"

I keep a tight hold around her, hopefully locking her into place. She sobs breathlessly, but is still stable enough to heed my words. She yanks the cord hard with one hand after a few moments of fumbling, her other still wrapped around me. We both yelp as suddenly we start to fall a bit slower, the parachute having sprung behind us. Oh, thank the Heavenly Dockyard...

Looking down I feel my pale face get even paler. It's still quite a distance to the ground, and Coral is only being saved from a deadly drop by my arms around her. Suddenly I start to feel her weight on me. Not much, but it's not like I'm particularly big to begin with.

"Don't let go of me," I tell her, breathless.

"Don't let go of me either," she mumbles, her voice high pitched and her eyes red from crying. "Don't... don't..."

"I won't," I say, holding her. "...Oh crap..."

We're slowing down, but I don't know if it's going to be enough. The ground is closer than before and it's approaching way too fast for my liking. I can't be sure of it, but I doubt we were even a thousand feet up when the parachute was activated. Worse yet is the sight I can see.

Oh no... no..

...My home...

District Four is a big place, and I always assumed that from the sky it'd be visible for as far as th eye can see. Well, that's certainly true. I can see it for miles, all of the many towns that make up the District and the places fenced off since the Dark Days.

It's all destroyed.

Smouldering fires, broken buildings, craters everywhere. Smoke billows from all around, the home I once knew gone amongst the carnage. And... oh shit, what did they do to the ocean!

It's like a sea of poison, all kinds of horrible shades of green. It churns in a way no water should, the boat wreckage melted amongst it from what I can tell. Swimming would be fatal, clearly. It'll take years to fix that horrible mess. What kind of bombs could do something like that to the ocean?

I'm torn away from my staring at the terrible wasteland when Coral screams again, her grip staring to falter. I grip her tighter, so much that part of me worries I may be putting on too much pressure. We're both close to tears as, finally, the ground starts to get closer.

We're still going too fast, and the wreckage of the Justice Hall is just up ahead. I yell and a moment later Coral looks back and screams louder.

"How do we steer?!" she shrieks.

"I don't know!" I exclaim "Uh... lean to the left! My left!"

We both lean together as one, pushing our weight to one side. We swing away from the Justice Hall, quickly coming in for a landing towards the rough, stone ground.

I spin us around, bracing to take the impact for us both. I've got the proper gear on, Coral doesn't. It's only fair.

AARRRRGGHH!

I groan, laying on my back with blurred vision. My back throbs and my eyes spin in their sockets. I groan, feeling completely battered. Nothing broken, but most things hurting.

Coral stands up, taking deep breathes. She kneels beside me, badly shaken. I've never seen her face so pale in all the years I have known her. She offers me a trembling hand, helping me up to my knees. I groan a bit as I kneel across from her, taking off the parachute backpack. It's a minute or two before we catch enough of our breathes back to say a word.

"...Are you alright?" I ask her. "How can I help? If there's anything-."

She flings her arms around me, sobbing into my shoulder. Never have I seen Coral so afraid, so broken... so ashamed. She shivers like a tribute in a tundra, mumbling how stupid she is and offering constant apologies. I let out a breath and hold her close.

I didn't fail her.

"You're safe now," I tell her. "You're safe..."

That's when I take a moment to look around the square of District Four, a place I hadn't seen since the reaping a few weeks ago. It's so different now that it's hard to believe it's even the same place.

Cracked ground, smouldering buildings, the scent of death in the air, charred bones... it's all broken.

Not the welcome back I'd been hoping for.

Looking up, the sunny sky is gone. From down here, the sky above is a nasty mixture between grey and poisonous looking green. It's full of smog, and so unnatural.

"We're home," I mutter, revolted by all that I am seeing. Glancing up, I can't see the rest parachuting in just yet. I guess we're alone together for at least a little while. I guess in some ways it's fitting, us both being from here before the madness began. "...Let's see what they've done to the neighbourhood while we've been away. Not exactly coming back to it the way we remember it..."

Once Coral calms down, at least enough to be get off her knees and be willing to walk with me, I think I know a good place to look around before anywhere else.

The Victor Village.

* * *

Even after a while on the bench while other stories were being written, it seems Urchin hasn't missed a beat when getting back into the action. Out of the underground District and into the ruins of District Four, not a bad opener if I do say so myself. Do you agree though? Feel free to let me know! This story is only just getting started and I'm certainly excited to get on with what is yet to come. For starters... what lurks in the dead District? Find out next time!


	2. Act 1-2: The Ruined District

**Disclaimer:** I do not own The Hunger Games, They belong to Suzanne Collins.

 **Note:** A bit of a delayed update, but hopefully it'll be one worth waiting for. Had a fair few personal issues and such going on this month, but everything's all under control now and ideally this means faster updates in the future. Guess we'll see for sure soon enough. Not got much else to say, so I'll sign off here and hope that you enjoy reading. :)

* * *

 **ACT 1: THE INSPIRATION**

 **Part 2: The Ruined District**

* * *

Walking through District Four, I can only stare and slowly shake my head. No matter where I look, it's nothing but pure destruction. Everything I once knew is gone. The bakeries, the candy store, all the homes that stood so neat and tidily by the sea... all of it, gone.

Well, technically not gone. After all, a lot of the buildings are still here. Just burnt, broken and smouldering. It hurts to look at all of them as I walk on by.

This is just one place in District Four. There are lots of towns all over the District, but I don't doubt that all of the others look as bad as mine does. Whoever wins this war, is there even going to be any chance of Four being restored to how I remember it? It'll take so long to clear up the terrible wreckage and rebuild all of the houses and stores. Not to mention the way the sea is flooded up with horrible toxic waste of some kind. The air is breathable, but I'm still wary. If any gas masks remain in the area then I'm putting them on. Lucky for Coral and I, Peacekeeper helmets work just fine as gas masks and chances are some are laying around here somewhere. After all, we've seen the charred remains of Peacekeeper uniforms here and there...

I grimace as I walk just ahead of Coral along one of the winding streets towards the Victor's Village. Already we've passed by the broken school we once attended and the practically melted remains of our favourite toy store from when we were little kids. The smell of the smoke is nasty. It's like the odour of heartbreak, if that makes sense? I... I just can't right now.

"Still hanging in there Coral?" I ask her. "We can take a break if you need us to. That was quite a, well, scare you just went through."

Coral sniffles and shakes her head. She wrings her hands, mortified as she looks around.

"What do we do Urchin? Even if we win, what comes after? We don't have a home anymore," Coral says, distant. "I just... I just..."

"Yeah," I say, putting a hand on her shoulder. "I know. I've thought about that too, honestly. Maybe I'd go to Eleven, with Rue. But it's not home, not really. Have you and your parents thought about where you'll move to? Maybe Seven? I've heard they have decent lakes to swim in."

Coral flinches, her face paling more than it already had. I wait for her to find the energy to talk, glancing around for any sign of danger or the rest of the group.

I guess we're always surrounded by danger, come to think of it, but if there are mutts lurking then I'd like to see them coming. I hold my knife tightly. It's all I've got right now. Well, I do have a pistol but we were going to get ammo to load in after we landed. Boggs had the ammo. See the problem?

Well, I've done more with less.

"Urchin," Coral mumbles, looking very uneasy. "My... my..."

"Take your time," I tell her, gently. "Deep breathes if you have to."

"My parents are gonna be so furious at me," she says, shivering. "They didn't know I snuck off. They're gonna know... they're gonna know I nearly got myself killed! Urchin, help me..."

I pause, wondering what I can do here. On the one hand I understand Coral meant no harm at all and only wanted to come and provide help for her home. It's the same thing I'm doing, after all.

On the other hand, she nearly fell to her death! She's only here because of me. If her parents are going to punish her for it, well, is it wrong that I feel Coral deserves it?

"I'm not gonna sugar coat it, you're gonna be in serious trouble," I tell her. "If your parents have harsh punishment in store for you, take it like a big girl. Whatever they'll do, it's better than the Hunger Games. Besides, you did almost get yourself killed."

"I'm sorry..." Coral sniffles. "Ok, I'll accept whatever awaits me."

"Good. Just remember, it can't be worse than either Hunger Games I was in," I say as we step over some rubble. "Mutts, people trying to kill me, all kinds of traps..."

I trail off as we pass by a few houses. It was once a rather pleasant neighbourhood, but now it's nothing but a broken wasteland that smells of ash. Conch Avenue, that was what this place was called. Both Coral and I flinch when we pass by what used to be house number thirty two on this road.

It used to be Dory's house.

My heart aches as I think of my fallen friend. The friend who died in my arms. The thought of her funeral has my eyes teary. She deserved better. She deserved to grow old and live life to the fullest, same as any kid. Alas, that's not the world we live in. Just a cursed, unfair country built on pain.

"Come on, let's go..." I say, speeding up.

"Wait, Urchin, I see something," Coral says, wiping her tears away. "Look."

I look to where Coral points, letting out a choked gasp. How did I not see those before? Laid around the wreckage of Dory's house are white roses. The same sort that President Snow is known for loving; he's never without one when he appears on TV nor face to face.

Snow's favourite flower laid around the wrecked house of my dead friend? He's trying to mess with my head. As if my head wasn't already messed up as it as. I guess there's no kill like overkill, right?

"C'mon, we're almost there," I say, taking Coral's hand.

We jog on our way, not looking back for a moment. Not at the wrecked houses, not at the broken streets, not at the smouldering fires and especially not at Dory's house. It's too painful.

"Oh, wait, we should probably signal where we are," I say, taking a flair gun from my pocket. The one loaded gun I was given. Better than nothing. "Hopefully they'll see it and catch up to us."

Aiming up at the sky I pull the trigger. The bright flair shoots off up above, crackling brightly. It's pretty, but against the pale green sky above District Four it just looks so unnatural. This whole place does.

Maybe we'll feel less creeped out once the rest of the squad catches up. Honestly, as unnerved as I am I don't believe that I am scared either, per-say. After two Hunger Games arenas, I know I an handle this place.

It's just the heartbreak that's giving me issues.

* * *

 **(Not much later...)**

* * *

Walking through the mangled gates of the Victor's Village I let out a quiet gasp. All the magnificent homes have been broken to bits, hardly anything left of them except rubble. My own house is certainly in bad shape. I don't see any roses laid around here, but I'm not assuming the place is safe.

A hole has been blasted upon to reveal the sewer below, full of toxic looking water. This and the fact the pool by my house is still on fire make it obvious the Victor Village is as unsafe as the rest of Four.

"Remember when this place was intact and we were training to be Careers?" I ask Coral.

"Yeah. Seems so long ago," she mumbles, sticking right beside me. "Looks like the training worked out for you, at least."

It didn't work out for Dory. I can't get that off of my mind. Maybe if I had trained her better or told her to run from the bloodbath or even just followed her around the entire time... maybe I could've saved her before it was too late.

"Think training may have helped the tributes in the graveyard?" Coral asks, pointing a distance away to the tribute graveyard.

Or, rather, what was once the tribute graveyard. Now it's just a smoking field of broken gravestones and bones. A sickly sight, one that has me more queasy than sea sickness ever did. You don't disturb the dead. You just don't! Even in death, those poor children aren't free from the Capitol's torment.

"How many children were buried in there?" Coral asks, her voice light.

"Well, we've had seven Victors. Was Dory buried here?" I ask, quietly.

"No," Coral says, softly. "They never got around to it before..."

"...Yeah. So, seventy five hunger games with two tributes each is a hundred and fifty, with two extra added for the second Quell. Take away seven for the Victors we have, and one more for the fact I went in twice," I exhale, sick at the thoughts of death. "That's one hundred and forty four dead kids."

We stand and stare out at the broken graveyard for a while. No words are spoken between us. Not like there is really much that we can actually say, is there? Nothing that isn't sobbing or anger at the cruel Capitol.

"So, why did we come here?" Coral asks me as we approach the ruins of my old house.

"Well, the houses are pretty big," I say as I look over the broken doorway. "I figure maybe if any house could protect people from the firebombs it'd be one of these. Maybe somebody could've taken shelter in the basement of one of them?"

"You know, it does remind me... I saw Tack running for this place before the second wave of the bombs dropped," Coral whispers, a hand to her sickly gut. "Maybe he's here. Though, he might be-."

"-He's alive," I say, unsure how much I even believe this. "Nobody ever saw him die. There's no proof of his death. Maybe he's here right now."

So, we start searching. It's a hard effort, of course. Whatever the experiences we've had, we're still fairly small sized and actions like moving rubble or raising fallen panels is something we're having trouble with. If the rest of the squad was here this would be a lot easier, but right now we've got no time to waste waiting around for them. Not when Tack, or any other survivors, could be right beneath our feet.

Before long Coral pleads for a break, worn out. My own muscles feel a painful ache, but I'm not done yet. I won't be done until I've checked the basements of all the houses. But, Coral's already in a pretty bad state... yeah, I can keep going alone.

"Take as long as you need," I tell her as she settles outside the wreckage of my house. "But keep an eye out for the squad. Call them over as soon as you see them."

"Can do," she replies, taking some deep breathes.

Part of me wants to just destroy the floor to get down to the basement, but there are two issues presented to me. I might cause rubble to land on survivors - if anybody is actually down there, that is – and the floor is pretty solid. Whatever it's made out of, it's far stronger than a normal floor like what other houses in Four have. Not just wood or cheap concrete, but probably some kind of metal? So, I'll have to clear the wreckage to the basement door until I can get through.

I really wish the window to the basement wasn't covered by a toxic sort of substance. It'd make this so much easier. Every second passed is a second longer Snow has Ula in his clutches and could do anything to her!

What might they do to her, and Prim? I've never really stopped to consider what fates befall Capitol prisoners, but I do at least know what an Avox is. I try not to vomit at the idea of either Ula or Prim becoming an Avox.

"It won't happen, you can save her," I scold myself. "Think positive! Be brave!"

I freeze, hearing something beyond the rubble. It's faint, but I am sure I heard somebody. A moment passes before the same muffled noise is there again. I don't know what they're saying, but it's a person!

"Somebody's alive!" I yell, working as fast as I can to tear the rubble out of the way. "Coral, somebody's here!"

"The Squad are here too!" she tells me, staggering over. "What should I do?"

"Just help me get all this rubble out of the way," I say, shortly. "There were food and water supplies in the basement, but after a month it's probably gone. We don't have much time. Hurry!"

I feel bad for the way I snapped at Coral, but she doesn't complain. She grabs a rock and drags it from the rubble pile. That's when I see Valkri sprinting up with a sword in hand. Or, is that just a huge combat knife? Doesn't matter, she's already ran up and started moving the rubble without a word.

"Are the rest close?" I ask her.

"The camera crew was right behind me," she says, not looking anywhere besides the rubble she's moving. "The rest should be here soon. There were mutts."

Mutts. Demons, all of them. I can't help but swallow nervously at the thought of them being here in Four. Every mutt that I've seen has been one horror story after another. The dogs made from the dead tributes of my first Hunger Games, the snowmen with the face of Glimmer, the horrible scorpions... no such thing as a good mutt!

"So long as the mutts are killed and no others make it here, I'm more than fine with that," I say after a moment.

I glance back, seeing that the camera crew have set up and are filming me as I work on removing all of the rubble. They're just standing there!

"Hey!" I yell at them, frowning. "Put down the damn camera and help us dig! Somebody's down here!"

They at least have the decency to look shamefaced, all four of them setting down the equipment and running over. They work fast, having an easier time than the rest of us kids were. The three men, two of whom are twins I think, tear out chunks of the rubble and throw it all away while the women uses a sort of pick axe to strike holes in the wreckage and loosen more of the rubble amongst it.

I'd assumed them to be from Thirteen, but the vivid green vines on the woman's head make me do a double take. They're from the Capitol! Though, with Plutarch being on the rebel's side amongst other Capitol people too, is this a huge surprise? I guess not. For a brief moment I glance at the name tag on her uniform, seeing that her name is Cressida.

"Almost there!" she says, smashing the pick down.

She's right. It's not a minute longer that we finally break through the rubble. I leap through it alongside Valkri, not waiting another moment. We thunder down the stairs, three at a time and skid into the basement.

I drop my knife at what I'm seeing.

"...Tack..." I whisper, hardly daring to believe it. "...I knew it! I knew you were alive!"

My joy is short lived. He may be alive, but my old friend certainly isn't well. He lays upon a sofa, groaning in pain. He's very thin and sickly, looking like he's hardly aware of the world around him. Does he even know we're here to save him?

Did he even respond to our calls, or did he just groan in pain and pure chance allowed us to find him?

It doesn't matter. We're getting him out of here, right here and right now. One look at all the empty food packets and bottles around the room make me glad we got here when we did. Another day or two and he'd be a goner.

"Can you hear me, Tack?" Valkri asks as she approaches him.

She carefully holds Tack up in her arms. She brushes some grime out of his curly red hair, concerned. I stand by her as Tack opens his eyes weakly. He's silent for a few moments as he looks at us.

"...Are you an angel?" he asks Valkri, soon passing out once again.

"Tack!" I check his pulse, panic surging throughout my veins.

"He's alive," Valkri says. "He's still breathing. I know over five hundred ways for people to be killed, and this isn't one of them. Well, not yet."

"TACK!"

Coral runs up, her eyes as wide as saucers when she sees Tack. Behind her are the camera crew, their camera turned on once again.

"Is he..." she trails off, shaking.

"He's alive," I assure her. "But he needs help, fast."

"I think I saw first aid kits on the hovercraft," Valkri says, holding Tack protectively. "If we can get him there, he'll probably live."

"Then let's get him there right now. We have no time to lose," I say, grabbing my knife back up and holding it tightly. "Where did the hovercraft land? ...Has it even landed yet?"

"It has, but it's three miles away," Cressida says. "There are mutts out there, you're lucky you didn't come across any of them on the way here. It'd be safer to wait for Boggs and-."

"There's no time," I tell her, already moving for the stairs. "Tack needs help right now. Plenty of others might as well. We can't afford to play it safe!"

I look at Valkri, still holding Tack while Coral fusses over him. He's in a bad state... but, I saved Coral. I can save him too! _We_ can save him.

"Maybe some of us can take Tack to safety and some of us can stay here to dig up more survivors?" one of the cameramen suggests after a few moments. "Me, Cressida, Urchin and Valkri can get Tack out of here. Everybody else stays behind to look for survivors."

"Good plan Castor," Cressida says. "Pollux and Messalla, stay safe and keep the kid safe too. She's already had one nasty scare, she doesn't need anymore."

"You can count on us," says one of the men, the thinner and younger one. The other, a burly bearded man, just gives a nod as he stands protectively by Coral.

"Before we go anywhere, put this on. Both of you," Cressida says, passing Coral and I a gas mask each. It only now occurs to me that the rest of the group are all wearing one.

I'm quick to put mine on, Coral doing so a few seconds later, and suddenly the air tastes a lot cleaner. Much less foul than it was a few seconds ago. I frown, glancing at Tack.

"Is there one for him?" I ask, hopeful.

"There were no spares," Cressida says, apologetic.

I'm halfway through taking my gas mask off, intending to use it on Tack, when Cressida quickly puts it right back on me. She shakes her head.

"You need to think of yourself first," she tells me, shaking her head. "You cannot be replaced, not after all the wonderful things you've done and the people you've inspired already. If your friend can survive here for so long, he can survive a few minutes out there in the open."

I frown, but soon enough I just sigh and nod. I might as well drop it as I don't see me getting my way on this one. Every second spent arguing is a second Tack goes without the help he's in severe need of.

"...Ok, let's move," I say, leading the group up the stairs. I can't help but wonder, for a moment at least, how the adults feel about the fact a twelve year old is leading them through this mission. If I were them, I guess I'd be embarrassed but they show no signs of complaining.

We're out of the wreckage of my old house in a flash, quickly running out of the Victor Village and into the streets. I let Cressida lead the way as it's not like I know where the hovercraft actually landed. I keep glancing at Valkri, making sure that she isn't falling behind or losing her grip on Tack. Thankfully, he's fine. For now.

"So, what were the mutts?" I ask Cressida as she runs along.

"Some kind of skinless dog. I hear some in the Capitol call them Groaners," she tells me. "Castor, this boy needs ammo."

Right away, a clip of bullets is pressed into my hand by the burly man running with us, the one I think is the twin of Pollux.

"Load it," he tells me. "This place is dangerous and we can't afford to lose you."

"Or Valkri, or Tack," I add as I load the gun. "We're all getting out of here."

I'm not sure if I believe my own words. Any of us could die on this mission. Coral almost did not long ago! She still might if anything goes wrong.

I sure hope the Groaners are weak to bullets and easy to hit.

* * *

 **(Not much later...)**

* * *

Cressida says that the hovercraft landed near an old factory, one used to make chowder. I think Gill's mother used to work there, or at least she did before the bombs dropped. Seems like the factory has been left more or less fine though. Well, not fine... it's pretty busted in some places, but it looks like the worst of the bombing missed this particular area. Sure enough, the hovercraft is parked near the dormant factory aquarium.

No Groaners have come after us, but I'm not holding my breath. Knowing how life often is for me, there will be plenty of them coming sooner than later. I keep my gun at the ready, prepared to fire any second.

"Careful with that thing," Valkri mutters. "Don't shoot unless you know what it is you're shooting at. Don't accidentally shoot me!"

I nod, assuring her I won't hurt her. Admittedly gun safety was a short class, but I'd like to think that I'd know better than to shoot one of my friends. I'm in the business of saving people, not killing them!

Then again, I'm sure some people would disagree. Cato, Glimmer, Pike, Isaak, Meadow, Colm... six people dead by my own hands.

We're able to reach the hovercraft without any incidents and get Tack loaded on board. He's quickly laid upon a stretcher, a sort of medical oxygen mask put over his face and a medic looking him over. Not the same kind of mask I've got on and it's connected to an oxygen canister, so I get why it couldn't be bought along. I just hope Tack's not been poisoned. The grim look on the medic's face doesn't make me feel any better.

"You got him back just in time," she says, checking his pulse and heartbeat. "He's very weak."

"Is he gonna live?" I choke out, sickened over seeing my friend so thin and frail.

"It's possible," is all she says.

We sit in place for a bit, all of us restless. Valkri kneels beside the medic, watching over Tack without losing her hold on her sword while Cressida and Castor talk quietly with each other. Too quiet for me to really pick it up, but I do hear Finnick's name spoken.

"What's going on with the others?" I ask them as I walk over. "Is Finnick ok? Any of them in trouble?"

"Last we heard they were alright. The Groaners sent them off course," Cressida tells me. "If there's any trouble then they'll call us. Walkie talkies... and you never got one, did you?"

"I was supposed to get it upon landing, right?" I say, holding out my hand awkwardly.

She passes me the walkie talkie and I'm quick to use it. It's not hard to figure out really; it's just like the toy ones I had when I was a little boy. Though, I guess on a much grander and high-tech scale. One press of the button and the device turns out with a low sort of hum.

"Finnick, are you there?" I ask the device. "Come in Finnick. Uh, over."

" _Hi, you've reached Luigi's Pizza. May I take your order_?"

"Hopper, I know it's you," I say, shaking my head. "We're on a mission, we have to be serious."

" _Ok, ok_ ," he says. " _But seriously, we're actually near a pizza parlour. I didn't know Four had those_."

"Does Twelve?" I can't help but ask.

" _No, but I saw a picture of a pizza in a magazine once_ ," he says chuckling " _Anyway, what's up_?"

"Where are you guys now? What's going on with you?" I ask him, crossing my fingers in hopes of nothing awful being about to happen.

" _We're near a pizza parlour_ ," Hopper replies, giggling some more.

I hear Hopper complain for a moment and the sounds of movement over the walkie talkie. A moment later I hear the familiar voice of my uncle.

" _Urchin, you're ok_!" Finnick's relief is touching to hear. ...I bet he's still gonna have words me being so reckless as to jump out of the sky. " _Where are you? We're currently at the Capitol Clam Boat Yard. Those mutts sent us off course, but we're all fine. We've found two survivors. How about you? Everything ok_?"

"Well, I saved Coral," I say, sitting on a crate. "Took a bit of a hit on the ground, but I'm alive."

" _Good work Urchin. I'm proud of you_ ," Finnick says, sounding delighted. " _Not bad for your first sky dive, huh_?"

"I never want to do it ever again!" I exclaim. "I'm back at the hovercraft with Valkri, Cressida and, uh, Castor? Yeah, Castor."

" _What about Coral, Pollux and Messalla_?" Finnick asks, quick and to the point. " _Are they hurt_? _Separated_?"

"They're at the Victor's Village digging into the basements in case there are survivors down there," I tell him. "We found a survivor Finnick. He's alive... Tack's alive..."

I feel myself getting emotional, wiping away a few of my tears. I can hardly dare to believe it, the fact we found one of my closest friends. I bet it'll be a very long road to recovery ahead for Tack, but so long as I am alive and standing by then I vow that he'll live!

Honestly, the more friends of mine that die... the more dead I feel on the inside.

" _Good work Urchin. Tack's parents are going to be relieved_ ," Finnick says, practically beaming. " _You did great_. _We'll be... aw, shit_."

"Finnick? What is it?" I ask, shaking the walkie talkie. "What's going on?!"

I hear the sounds of angry snarls and vicious barking before the line goes dead, the last sound being Finnick yelling. The sound went off from his side before I could tell if it was a yell of pain or just a battle cry.

"Finnick! Come in, Finnick! Over!" I yell, shaking the walkie talkie. "No!"

"They should be fine," Castor says. "Boggs is tough, and Finnick is a legend. No way Mutts would take him out."

I don't hang around to listen; I'm already walking out of the hovercraft and back out into the open air of the District. I'm sure that they would appreciate some back-up. All this saving people business is making me feel all sorts of dazed inside, but it's what's expected of me as the Mockingjay. If I'm gonna be the face of the rebellion, then I'm gonna _act like it_.

Besides, Finnick is family and Hopper is a friend. What kind of a shrimp would just leave them to fend for themselves? Magus is there too and may need a hand just in case. Besides, we'd need to get back for Coral and the men with her too. Oh, and let's not forget Boggs. He's one of the highest ranked people in Thirteen; without him, the whole thing goes belly up. Kinda like a dead fish...

"Urchin, come back!" Castor calls after me. "It's dangerous-."

"So is the rebellion! So is the Capitol!" I yell back. "If we're taking them down, and if I'm getting my sister and Prim back, then I have to face danger one way or the other! Yeah, it's scary as a shark attack, but I'd do it anyway to save people I love!"

I don't stay to hear more, with every second that passes being a second longer that any of the squad could be getting killed by the Groaners. However, I do have one advantage on this mission.

I used to live here. I know the area like the back of my hand. If anybody could find the fastest route to the Capitol Clam Boat Yard it would be me. Sure enough, I can already picture the route I'll take in my head. Second right, third left, onwards past the intersection and so on. I can do this.

Footsteps alert me to the fact I'm being followed. I glance back for only a moment, seeing that Cressida is running behind me with her camera in hand.

"I hope you can shoot and film at the same time," I tell her as we leap over some rubble.

Cressida gives a thumbs up, confidence shining in her eyes. I'll give her one thing, she's one talented film director.

I just hope I can be one talented rebel.

* * *

 **(Some time passes...)**

* * *

Fog is starting to gather by the time we make it to the boat yard. I'd worried about it being toxic, but Cressida says the gas masks will keep us safe from any sort of danger. This poison sure looks nasty though; what if she's wrong?

I can only hope a few hours of being in this place won't cause me any long term health issues. It makes me wonder just what problems Tack might have after being in this place for so long.

Cressida has been filming me as I jog, a feeling that still feels a bit awkward. I didn't think I'd care about it, having bigger problems and also having been on camera a lot in the past. The arenas were surely full of thousands of cameras. I guess it's just that seeing the camera and the person holding it makes it feel a lot more personal.

"We're almost there," I tell her as we run through a cracked, battered street. A fissure has formed in the road, forcing us to carefully edge our way around the side of it. "We should be able to hear them soon."

"What do you plan to do when we're there?" Cressida asks me. "What's strikes you as the best course of action, Mockingjay?"

Is Cressida asking me because she wants to know, or is it more for the camera and the propo? I'm hardly sure, but I guess it won't hurt to answer the question. I had an idea on the way, luckily.

"Shoot at the mutts," I tell her, not looking back. "If Mutts can die from knives and swords, then they can die from bullets. Uh, right?"

"It seems likely," she replies. "What will you do for the survivors Finnick spoke of?"

"Anything they need," I say, quickly. "A month in this place that was once my home, they're entitled to _anything_ they need."

No sooner have I said that, gunshots and distant screams enter my ears. We're close and by the sound of it there's plenty of trouble going on. Exactly what I was afraid of! It can never be easy, can it?

But, the right thing is rarely easy I guess.

"Come on!" I yell, speeding up. "They need help!"

I race on as fast as I can, dodging wreckage and leaping over small rubble piles. It's as if I am back in the Seventy Fourth Hunger Games, making my charge to the Cornucopia. I'd beat everybody except Thresh to the Cornucopia that day. I know I'm fast enough to get there on time.

"Finnick!" I yell. "FINNICK!"

I'm like a curly haired blur as I run through the gates of the destroyed factory. The fog makes it hard to see the entire area and all the wreckage, but I can see enough to have an idea of what's going on here.

Magnus and Finnick are back to back with a sword and trident between them, striking at various demonic, decayed dog mutts that try to jump and gnaw at them. From upon a metal container Boggs stands with a rifle in hand, taking careful aim and firing off shots at the mutts. A hoard of these beasts lay brutalised upon the ground, staining the concrete red. So gross...

It seems these must be what Groaners are. Horrible dogs. They look so unnatural, like some sort of starving demon hounds. Creatures like them shouldn't exist! You and I both know that.

It takes me a few moments to see where Hopper is, but before long I manage to spot him. He's up on a container much like the one Boggs is upon and it seems he's kneeling by two people. I cannot make out any details of them out from here, but I'd guess those are the survivors that Finnick mentioned.

The moment I see another Groaner emerge from the mist I fire upon it. It feels strange, unsettling even, to fire a weapon at a living creature... but I won't dwell on it. Mutts only exist to hurt people, or worse. Taking them out is the only thing to be done.

The Groaners are fast, just like real dogs, but every shot makes them flinch and stop their movement. I breath deeply, shaking as two of them lay dead from my gun.

"Urchin!" Finnick calls to me, urgent. "Get down, now!"

I drop to the ground in an instant, Finnick's trident soaring over me a moment later. I don't have to wait even a second for the sound of a fleshly splatter to enter my ears. I glance back, gulping at the sight of a Groaner sprawled out with the trident right through its neck. The beast almost snuck up on me...

"Where are they coming from?!" I shout, trying to keep my breathing stable. "So many dogs..."

"The Capitol must have left them here," Finnick says, sprinting by to grab his trident back up. "They must be able to smell us for miles."

I try to be brave. I'm on camera right now – indeed, Cressida has perched herself at the top of a street lamp. She films the battle from above, firing off a bullet at the Groaners every few moments with her pistol. The only sounds my ears pick up are the terrible noises of gunfire, skittering feet and snarling. Oh, and the screams. Many screams!

"Clear the area!" I yell, my gun trembling in my grip. "The sooner they're all dead the sooner we can take the survivors back to the Hovercraft. How many left?"

"No idea," Finnick says. "Urchin, you should get back to the Hovercraft. You can't be replaced."

"Neither can you," I reply. "Nobody can! We're all people, Finnick. All unique."

More gunfire rings out, more of the Groaner pack dying seconds later. Finnick tries to respond to me, but he's off in an instant to help Magnus take down more of the beasts. I turn around on the spot in a constant circle, trying to peer through the fog at any danger that's surely lurking near.

I pull the trigger three times, quick as I can. The Groaner moans, slumping over lifelessly. By now the broken, grey concrete is starting to be more red than grey. The blood is all over the place, like some kind of meat factory. But the numbers of rapid footsteps and snarls seems to be getting lower; it's getting quieter.

 _ **AAAAARRRGGGHHH**_!

Pain explodes in my left shoulder, the clothing around it feeling damp from blood already. I smack my gun back at whatever it is, making the beast yelp. I turn and fire off a shot.

The gun clicks.

No, no, no!

This isn't a Groaner, or at least it's not like the others. This one has worms all over its face! It's like the flesh of its skull has been removed and just had worms put all over it. It growls, its maw opening.

I swing the knife right as it lunges. The 'Wormhead' gazes right at me with an eyeless face, trying to bite me. I feel blood from its stab wound leaking upon me.

"Get off, get off!" I yell, struggling around. Not like this, please not like this...

If I die, nobody will be able to save Ula, Prim or any other hostages that might be kept under Capitol lock and key. The thought lights a fire within me.

"Piss off!" I bark, tightening my grip around the Wormhead's throat.

I flinch as my fingers tear right into its decayed flesh, letting more blood out. The hound writhes, slumping over as it bleeds out. I grab my knife and rise, panting rapid and fast. I'm breathing, but it feels like I'm unable to get any oxygen in me at all.

I stagger, my shoulder burning in pain. The bite feels horrid, but not enough to stop me. Though, my vision flashes a bit. I stagger, unsure of what's going on around me. Owwwwwwww...

"Stay with me Urchin, you're gonna be fine," Magnus says as he runs over, standing guard by me in an instant. "They're just about all dead."

"You sure?" I ask, shuddering.

The gunfire going silent a minute later seems to be my answer. There's no more barking of the beats nor even the sound of any of them fleeing the area. Just many damaged bodies laying around and massive amounts of blood pooling around. I gag as I glance down at myself. Some of the blood is mine and some of it isn't... I'm having a hard time working out which is which.

A maniacal laugh takes me out of my thoughts. Hopper! I make my way over to where he is, just barely visible amongst the fog. Coming near, I see that he's taken no hits at all. Can't say I'm not a little jealous of that.

"That was awesome!" he cheers, though... something seems different about his voice. Not quite pure glee, but he's certainly not miserable. "What a battle that was. Holy crap, I feel so _alive_..."

He looks a me, his wild expression becoming concerned in an instant.

"Urchin, what happened man?" he asks, dropping down in front of me. "Geez, that looks nasty."

"Feels nasty too," I shudder. "I'm fine, sorta. Taken worse than this before now. I got shot in the shoulder with an arrow once and lived. Just a bite, that's all."

Hopper doesn't look convinced. He practically forces a bottle into my hand, one look at the label telling me it's some kind of painkiller liquid.

"Take a sip," he tells me. "If you die, we're all in deep trouble. If anybody is gonna be in deep trouble it's gonna be Snow, so... don't you _dare_ die Urchin."

I give him a nod, taking a sip. I don't feel any different, but what sane kid refuses medicine? I pass the bottle back, wiping my knife against my pant leg to get the blood off it.

It's a few moments before anybody speaks.

"So, we found two survivors," Hopper says. "Maybe you know them? One of them is out of it, but the other one was well enough to tell us they hid in the basement of the main factory building when the bombs dropped."

He pauses, frowning as he flicks some blood off his palms.

"Well, she said that before she passed out too. I think she was really thirsty," he explains, glancing up at the metal container in concern. "That, and traumatised. I guess we're all a bit messed up in the head these days, wouldn't you say?"

"The Hunger Games do that to people," I agree.

"Eh, I was messed up long before I got reaped," he says, almost pleasantly.

The rest gather around soon after, working to get the two survivors off of the container. Good thing those Groaners couldn't jump that high...

As soon as I lay eyes upon the pair held in the arms of Magnus and Boggs I realise exactly who these two are. The pale skin, the ragged outfits that I know were once colourful and even a little fancy, the fiery red hair... no doubt about it, it's Nella and Zabrina. All of Four, more or less, know who these two are. After all, they're the daughters of Mayor Reefbait.

I can't help but wince, knowing that the Mayor was one of the confirmed causalities of the bombing. Mom says she saw him set ablaze by one of the explosions and left as charred as smoked seaweed...

The poor young ladies. They lost their dad, possibly their mother too... but at least they still have each other. I can only wonder how they lasted so long here. The basement, like my own, must have been well stocked.

"Nella, Zabrina!" I say, moving closer. "Can you hear me?"

They clearly don't, both of them passed out and looking a nasty sort of thin. No longer of a healthy weight, quite the opposite. Rich or poor, we all suffer from the Capitol.

"We need to get them to the hovercraft, now," I say, clutching my throbbing shoulder harder. "I need medical attention too."

"Where are the others?" Boggs asks me. "Anybody dead?"

Boggs' walkie talkie beeps before I get a word out. He answers it, holding Nella with just one arm as he does so, giving a short response to what he is told every now and then. Putting it away he turns to us all with a satisfied, grim expression.

"I'll say this once and then we're moving out to the hovercraft immediately," he says, his eyes narrowed. "Everybody else has made it back to the hovercraft and I've gotten word from the navigator that there's a tidal wave coming in. With all the toxins in the sea, it'll be corrosive. Lethal. We need to go, now!"

"Tidal wave?" Finnick asks, just as grim.

"I'm just saying what I've been told," Boggs states. "It's not far from the shore and it's huge. It'll cover the town. Move, move, move!"

Before I can even react I find myself raised up off of the ground and set upon Finnick's shoulders.

"I trust that you'd be fine, but time is of the essence," he tells me. "You're in pain, you'd run slower."

"Fair," I say. "Wait, no! There might be more survivors, we need to help them!"

"We've done the best we can," Boggs says as we all set off into a swift run. "None of us are going to be any use to the rebellion if we're dead. Move, move, move!"

That's what we do. I hold on tightly to Finnick as he sprints along with the rest of the group. I should be feel some sense of accomplishment, right? That's three people we saved before it was too late and surely a lot of this footage would be great for propos. But, I just can't be happy.

I know all too well that I'm taking my final glances at my home. The toxic tidal wave will surely wash it all away into nothingness, if not dissolve it outright. Same for any survivors that might still be trapped.

I want to beg the group to stop and take the chance to rescue more people, but I force myself to keep quiet. If we stay, we'll die. There's no time left and I'm not willing to get myself killed. Not when Snow still has my sister in his vile clutches.

I'll have to make plenty of difficult choices to survive and win this war, and right now... I choose escape.

* * *

 **(Not much later...)**

* * *

The fog is clearing up, but right now we have bigger issues to contend with. The tidal wave looms near, casting a shadow over the District. It's not reached the shore yet, but the fact that it's distant and still has a nasty shadow over us tells me this is one wave we don't want to get splashed by. Saltwater in the eyes is one thing, but toxic acid all over our bodies? That's a whole different level of agony.

Our footsteps pound upon the broken ground as we head in the direction of the hovercraft, our hearts surely pounding just as hard. Mine certainly is. If we stay here then we're doomed, and we still have a ways to go before we reach the hovercraft. If anybody falls behind or gets lost then it's all over for them. We don't have any time to spare running back to help people up, according to Boggs.

It's a twisted irony isn't it? We come here to save people, but we're ready to abandon people if we need to. Well, I'm not ready to, not really. But I'm not willing to die here, not yet. My work isn't over with just yet. I glance at all the buildings we pass, unable to shake the idea that there might be survivors trapped in some of them.

"Why would a tidal wave even hit on the same day we came here?" I cannot help but ask. "There's never been a tidal wave around here before!"

"Might be a result of the bombing messing with the sea," Magnus says. "Or maybe the Capitol knows we're here. I don't know."

I shudder at the thought of Snow watching me right now. But, where could he be watching me? I've not seen any cameras' how could they be set up in the rubble? Perhaps I'd be happier not knowing. Whatever the reason for the tidal wave striking today of all days, the end result remains the same. Destruction for everything left here!

Distant howls and echoing snarls break me from my thoughts. Groaners! How many of those horrible beasts are there? Just how many did the Capitol put here... was it really that obvious that I was going to return to District Four one last time? I must be getting predictable.

"Keep running, don't fight them!" Boggs says from the front of the group. "It'll only waste time."

"We might have to," Finnick says, his voice grave. "There's more of them ahead!"

A screech pieces the air, followed by what I can only call a demonic sort of flapping. It's not like any bird I've ever heard, that's for sure.

It quickly becomes clear that this is because it's not a bird. It's like some kind of flying lizard, with scaly wings, barbed feet and a scaly, twisty form. It flies towards us, screeching on and on. It makes my ears throb awfully, but at least it's a distraction from the searing pain in my shoulder. Always gotta look at the bright side of things...

From behind us the Groaners run fast, surely starting to close in. From ahead, those flying monsters – Air Screamer seems like a good name, maybe? - home in on us. We're sandwiched!

"I saw those flying beasts in my Games," Magnus says, shuddering. "Hard left! They can't turn very well."

We do as instructed, the Air Screamers unable to stop themselves from shooting past us harmlessly. I glance back at the one that came nearest to me. Sure enough it's having a hard time turning itself around to continue to the chase; it doesn't seem like it has the brainpower to land, turn on the spot and then fly after us. It just takes a long arc around and...

I hold back a snicker. The dumb mutt flew right into a wall. The mutt lays dazed, before it starts to come back after us. The speed it pursues us, faster then the pack of Groaners, makes me stop snickering and starts screaming.

"Go, go, go!" I yell, swallowing down the vomit that almost comes flying out. "They're getting close!"

"So is the tidal wave," Hopper adds. It's amazing how he runs so fast despite his poor, underfed upbringing. "Don't suppose we could surf it if all else fails?"

"Don't count on it," I tell him.

The area starts to rumble, the sound of the ocean getting louder. It can't be long now until the wave hits the shore and covers the entire town. Can't be more than a few minutes, if even that. I try to think of something I can do to aid the escape, anything at all, but there's nothing. I can only stay balanced on Finnick's shoulders and try not to fall off.

Mercifully, the hovercraft comes into sight as we arrive at the landing site. Of course, the mutts haven't given up their pursuit and the tidal wave is visible now. It looms above the buildings, hardly a mile from the shore. The green colour of it makes my heart pound; I'd surely be dissolved if it splashed me!

"Come on!" Valkri yells from the Hovercraft.

"Go, go, go!" Castor yells, pounding the inside wall of the hovercraft. "We need to move, now!"

Boggs runs ahead of us and swiftly gets in, laying Nella down beside Tag. It's only a few moments later that the rest of us start to arrive. Castor and Messalla start to fire off shots at the mutts, holding them at bay for now. I let myself collapse to the ground, shuddering from the pain in my shoulder.

"Wait for me!" Hopper shouts.

Hopper continues to run to the hovercraft, having fallen behind us a bit. I hadn't even noticed! Did he trip? No, no, no! He's fast, but so are the Groaners and the Air Screamers that pursue him relentlessly.

"Hopper, come on!" I yell. "Keep running, you can do it!"

"Time is up. Preparing for take-off," says the pilot over the intercom.

The engines of the hovercraft burst into life as it starts to rise from the ground. I see the panic in Hopper's eyes as he makes a final charge towards the hovercraft. He lunges, grabbing onto the back ramp with both hands as we take flight. I hear the snarls of the mutts and the snapping of jaws, but Hopper gives no reaction. He just glances down and cackles.

"So long suckers!" he taunts the mutts, before glancing at us. "Uh, can somebody pull me in? Kinda worn out right now and the ground is far below... come on!"

Finnick and I quickly move over to pull Hopper back into the hovercraft. No sooner have we done so, the back ramp starts to close itself up as we take flight. As the ramp closes I take my last look at my home far down below.

I can't help shedding some tears as a massive tidal wave covers everything, much of what was left being washed away and anything that remains already being eaten away at by the acidic sea water.

It's all gone.

I slump down in one of the chairs at the side of the hovercraft, lost. My mind is a blur and right now I have no idea what to think or feel. My home is gone. Gone. It's not even a wreck anymore. It's been literally splashed out of existence!

I pull up my knees, hiding my face behind them as the hovercraft soars through the sky. My shoulder feels horrible, but somehow the aching in my heart hurts even moreso.

Everybody is silent for some time, getting our breathes back. I briefly look up and wipe the tears away. Valkri kneels beside Tack, as if standing guard over him. Hopper does much the same for Zabrina, while Magnus is watching over Nella, The twin daughters of the mayor are on life support, hardly looking like the pretty young ladies they once did. I wasn't there fast enough to see them conscious, but I can only imagine how traumatised they'll be when they wake up. They're so thin and pale.

Coral sits beside me, pulling up her knees just like I am. Her eyes are watery and occasionally she sniffles. I put a hand on her shoulder, giving her a gentle squeeze.

"We'll get them back for this," I tell her. "Snow's gonna pay for this."

Coral seethes, wiping her tears away. Like me, she's depressed... but there's a fire in her eyes too, one I've not seen ever since shortly before the second time I was reaped. A flicker of the outspoken, tough girl she once was is still in there somewhere.

"He's gonna fucking pay..." she hisses. I don't even react to her cursing; compared to arenas, swearing is nothing. "I mean, once I pay for sneaking off on this mission and almost dying. Oh, this won't be fun."

"Was it worth it?" I ask her. "Feel you got what you needed?"

"I honestly don't know," Coral says, looking down at her feet. "Think we did any good here, today?"

I look around the room in search of the answer to that question. My bloodied shoulder certainly isn't what I'd call good, but then I gaze in the direction of Cressida and the rest of her crew. She seems happy as she looks over the camera, no doubt having tons of great footage to use. Certainly enough to make an excellent propo for the rebellion. I wasn't trying to inspire people back there, I was just trying to survive and do what seemed right. I guess that's the thing, sometimes doing right is exactly what inspires people the most.

I clutch my wound, taking a few deep breathes. Holy _barnacles_ , it hurts! But, seeing Tack alive and getting medical attention... it starts to hurt just a little less. Nella and Zabrina are also breathing, not showing any signs of severe wounds. Malnutrition maybe, but they'll live. They're pretty well known in Four; saving them will surely help the morale of the Four refugees back in Thirteen. Perhaps, with Zabrina set to have been the next Mayor of Four, she might be able to play some role in this whole thing? I don't wanna assume, but if there's any way she can help us... oh boy, I sure hope she'll do it.

I look back at Coral, considering what she asked me.

"I'd say we did," I reply, giving a firm nod. "We saved three lives."

"No. Four," she tells me, softly. "You saved me, remember? I... I was so stupid, and you gave me a second chance at life. I'll never forget that."

She paused, taking a deep breath.

"I'll also never forget how horrible free fall feels," she adds.

Coral doesn't talk much after that, becoming more focused on taking a rest. I'd love to follow her lead, but I soon find myself led away towards the medical room of the hovercraft. We're all checked over quickly for any signs of injury. Amazingly, nobody has taken any serious injuries. I guess that's the beauty of having actually decent equipment. Much better than the typical stuff one would get from any Cornucopia.

I sit on the medical table, my shoulder being bandaged up by a nurse. I'm silent, not making any sounds of complaint even with how much it stings. I'm more occupied on what comes next when we return to Thirteen. The mission was a success, so... now what?

"Wait here," the nurse says. "You need a new set of clothes, these ones have mutt blood in them. They need to be burnt."

"You're the boss," I say. "Uh... do I take them off now, or...?"

Please say later. Please say later.

"There's a changing room just over there," she replies, pointing to a door I hadn't noticed. "I'll be right back."

No sooner has the nurse left the room Hopper and Valkri enter. As is the case most of the time, Valkri doesn't react much. Same ever serious expression on her face, same self-disciplined attitude. She does seem a little... concerned, I guess, but it's hard to tell. As for Hopper, I'd expected him to be cheering in delight. It's not been long since we took off from Four and he was in high spirits after we pulled him into the hovercraft, but right now he looks pretty distant.

Valkri sits on a chair at the side of the room, deep in thought. Hopper, meanwhile, sits beside me.

"So... mission complete, eh?" he says, flicking some blood out of his hair. I sure hope it's not his own blood... "Rescued some survivors, killed some mutts, got that sweet propo footage... complete success, right?"

"I guess so, yeah," I say, nodding. I can't make myself sound anything more than distant. Not when thoughts of my destroyed home weigh upon me.

"If it was such a success then why are we not cheering?" he asks me, sighing. "Honestly, this feels like a load of crap."

I don't reply, just slowly nodding my agreement.

"I was hoping for one amazing adventure, but that was a lot more than I expected it to be," Hopper says, sighing. "You know, it's just so easy to slip into my 'wild side' and cackle over the mayhem, but it's not really making me feel better. That was really..."

He trails off, soundlessly snapping his fingers as he tries to think what to say next. He shakes his head, looking up at the ceiling.

"I'm following you everywhere you go in this war Urchin," he tells me. "But I'm starting to see I'm not as prepared for everything as I thought."

"People rarely are," Valkri adds, not looking up. "Lots of people in Two train for the Games and think they are ready, but they generally fail the final test before they volunteer."

"And, what's that?" I ask. I have to admit, I've never given much thought to how Careers in Two get chosen to volunteer.

"We have to kill a person. Generally somebody dying of an illness who wants to serve their District in their final days or somebody on death row for a crime, but they're still people," she says, softly. "That's why tributes from Two are almost never phased by death... they're already seen it."

"Did you...?" I trail off.

"We won't judge," Hopper adds, speaking for us both. He's correct, of course. I'd be a hypocrite to judge when I think I may have killed more people than Valkri has.

"I didn't. Not a single twelve year old in Two could bring themselves to do it. Not me, not Cassius, not anybody," she says, shaking her head. "That's why none of us volunteered. Nobody was chosen to step up. It's why I was so sensitive."

"I never took you as the sensitive type," Hopper says. "I always saw you more as the 'kill somebody by blinking at them' type."

Valkri gives Hopper a look, after which he quickly shuts up. She nods, pleased by this and looks down again.

"I cried for my mummy before we escaped. Careers never do that. In fact, not many people our age do..." she frowns, looking a bit awkward. "What's the plan now?"

"I honestly don't know," I say, shrugging helplessly. "We get back, tell Coin what happened and then go from there I guess. Unless you have any ideas, Hopper?"

"Huh? Oh, sorry, zoned out a bit," he chuckles without humour. "Well, I'm sicking close to Boggs for the near future. The guy just _knows_ , you know? He has all the skills of a cool commando! I wanna be somebody like that, a brave soldier who could do anything."

"You seem... different, lately," I say, curious.

"Hey, you changed a lot after you survived the Hunger Games," he says as he heads for the door. "I just have a lot on my mind right now. I'm gonna see how the survivors are doing... actually, Urchin, I have one very important question for you and you need to be honest with me, ok?"

I pause, seeing how serious Hopper is. His sleet grey eyes stare at me, pleading.

"...What's up?" I say after a moment.

All at once, the seriousness is gone and his normal sly expression is back. Oh boy, what's he gonna say now?

"Is Zabrina single?" he asks me, chuckling.

"I thought you liked Madge," I say, frowning. "I know there are plenty of fish in the sea, or at least there were before the bombing, but come on!"

"You said Madge is too old for me," he replies, not even slightly sorry. He smirks wider.

"One year younger hardly improves things!" I exclaim.

Hopper leaves, laughing as he goes. He practically doubles over as he leans against the door.

"Feels so good to laugh," he says between snickers. "Later guys, gonna ask Boggs if I can make my own propo for the cause."

Hopper leaves, and so I am all alone once again. Well, except for Valkri but she doesn't seem to be in much of a mood to talk right now. I wonder what's taking the nurse so long... she's not waiting for us to be done, is she? Nothing stopping her from just entering the room and getting to work again.

I sit silently, awaiting the nurse's return for a few minutes. Valkri just sits quietly in that time, barely bringing any attention to herself.

"I'm sorry about your District," she says eventually. "It must be horrible. If that happened to Two... I don't know what I would do. Home is precious."

"What's your home like?" I ask her, curious.

"...Nice," she says, simply. "Just me and mummy. We live in a cosy village built into a mountain. I'd love to see it again someday."

She sounds so longing. Just like I am. Difference is, her home still exists. With Two being the most Capitol loyal District, Valkri's got no reason to fear her District being destroyed. I wish I could go back to the days where Four actually existed. But, I can't. No amount of feeling bad can change what happened.

But, perhaps, a strong amount of feeling confident and doing everything I can to help the cause can change the future. There are still eleven Districts to save, twelve if Thirteen counts... though I'm still unsure as to how I am going to deal with District One. They've got reasons for being angry at me.

"Valkri, do you think Two will join this rebellion?" I ask her.

"I'm not sure. Life in Two is fine as it is, so it'd take some convincing," she says, trailing off for a moment. "...Or force."

"I don't feel good about forcing anything on your home," I admit, frowning to myself. "It's gonna be tough."

"One problem at a time," Valkri says,. "At least today was a success. Be content about that."

Valkri looks troubled. Maybe I was a bit too forward with my question. If Two isn't with the rebellion then, well... would they be treated the same way as the Capitol? As enemies? Once upon a time I'd have just accepted this, but now that I have a friend from Two I'm finding it harder.

The nurse finally comes back, muttering about the spare cloths being relocated without her being told. She passes them over, pointing to the changing room without a word. I take the hint and move in quickly.

You don't make a nurse mad. Dory's mother is proof of this fact, let it be known!

* * *

 **(Later...)**

* * *

We returned to Thirteen and received quite a warm welcome. Cheering, applause and all the usual celebrity treatment. Me being a celebrity... still feels strange to call myself one of those.

Of course, I'd never say no to Rue hugging me and saying she's glad to see me. Whether it's a one armed hug or one with two hands I'll always love the way she holds me. Eheheh...

Cressida and her crew were quick to upload all of the footage they recorded into the computer systems of Thirteen, and right now they and several others are hard at work turning it into a propo. They say they'll have the final version of it done by tomorrow and after that they'll be airing it throughout the Districts. Coin was certainly pleased to hear about that; she says that I performed 'adequately'.

Personally I think I did a bit better than that...

Coin thinks that, based on what footage of the mission was acquired and the success of the journey to Four, we could get more of the Districts under rebel control and force the Capitol back. She called me 'determined, driven and dependable'. But that smile of hers... it certainly didn't make me feel relaxed, though maybe I'm just in a bad mood from fear, worry and the pain in my shoulder. I'm in a flurry at the moment... my home...

Thankfully, Coin had nothing but praise for me. On the downside, she had very much the opposite for Coral. She certainly made clear to her that she was in huge trouble for what she did and that there would be great consequences for going out of line. Though, I expect Coin will have to wait in line because Coral's mom and dad dragged her off as soon as we landed a few hours ago. I have no doubts that Coral's going to be grounded for life... however long that might be for any of us.

Can't say I envy her. Nor do I blame Coin or her parents for being furious... she did nearly die, if not for me. Still, I hope she'll be alright. She really did just want to help.

Right now I'm letting the adults do their thing. I'm taking a break from it all, trying my hardest to relax in my room. I'd prefer to be with Tack, Nella and Zabrina but all three have been put into the medical area and are not allowed to have visitors. They're being analysed for 'contamination' or something. At least Tack's safer there than in the basement of my destroyed house.

"Which District will we go to next?" I say out loud, staring up at the ceiling. "...I hear Seven is pretty during the winter..."

"Five prettier..." a timid voice says.

I pause for a moment, glancing around. No sign of anybody anywhere near me... oh, of course. I get off my bed and look underneath it. Sure enough, Electra is huddled up right in front of me. How long has she been there? Nobody has come into my room since I entered an hour ago... she's been here this whole time hasn't she? I wonder what made her go under my bed of all places...

"Oh, hello Electra," I say. I pause for a few moments as she silently observes me. "How long have you been under there?"

Electra pauses, slowly counting on her fingers.

"This many hours," she says, holding up three fingers. "Felt scared..."

"Why did you feel scared?" I ask her, reaching for her. She squeaks, backing away against the corner. "Hey, hey, it's ok. I'm not gonna hurt you. I saved you, remember?"

"Urchin hero," she says, slowly nodding. "Um, screams. Nasty screams. Screaming from the basement... monster... hiding from the monster."

It takes a few minutes of gentle coaxing and assurances, but eventually I get Electra to come out from under my bed. I don't think I'm going to get much out of her about the 'monster'. Thirteen doesn't have mutts, this much I am certain of. Though, she remains insistent between sniffles and continues to mumble about the monster being real.

Eventually, I manage to calm Electra down by talking about trains. It's amazing, honestly, how it puts a smile on her face so easily. I guess we all have our comfort topics.

"So... why didn't you tell me you were under my bed?" I ask her once I'm sure she won't start feeling afraid again.

"Um... you were, uh, relaxed. Didn't want to disturb... rude," she mumbles. "Rudeness not good."

"Indeed not," I agree, sitting on the bed. I pat the spot next to me, and Electra sits down a moment later. "How's Thirteen been while I was away? I mean, uh, besides the monster."

"Um, busy. Very busy," Electra says, tapping her fingers together. "People running around, talking a lot. Not sure what's going on. Timm wrote poetry for Coin... Timm nice. Oh; Rue's arm all better! Happy!"

"Already? That's great news," I say, allowing a smile to form on my face. "Rue's hated having her arm stuck in that cast. It'll be good to see her smiling."

After all, when Rue smiles it tends to make it easier for me to smile as well. If I'm the head Mockingjay, then surely she's the Heart of the group.

I'm not alone with Electra for much longer before Timm and Rue come by the room. Timm looks relieved to see Electra, saying he's been looking for her for hours and how he didn't want her to get in trouble for not sticking to her schedule. Electra holds his hand unprompted, smiling softly.

"So, what happened out there... uh, out in the warzone?" he asks, nervous.

"Four is dissolved," I croak out. "There's hardly even any wreckage now. Mutts, fire, poison... it was a mess Timm. Saved three people, but so much has been lost. If there were any other survivors we didn't find, they're dead."

"I'm sorry to hear it," Timm says, putting a hand on my shoulder. "If that happened to Eight... I just don't know."

Rue takes me into a hug, one that I return quickly. We embrace for a while, just enjoying the quiet, close feeling of it. She looks at me, weakly smiling.

"You still saved three people. You got the mission to happen... you're a hero," she tells me. "Well, more of one than you were to begin with and you were already pretty cool if you ask me."

"Heh, thanks Rue," I say as we part. "...What's wrong?"

There's no missing the uneasy look in Rue's eyes, the look that clearly suggests something is going on. ...Is this related to the 'monster' Electra claims to have heard in the basement?

"There's a broadcast starting in a few minutes," Rue tells me. "President Snow will be speaking. I think we're gonna want to hear this."

"Let's go," I say, already moving out of the room. "I want to hear what that snake has to say."

I find myself lost in my thoughts as the four of us head off in the direction of the cafeteria where the screens will be set up for us to watch Snow. What's he going to say? Is he going to address me specifically? I wonder if he knows where I am right now and is just biding his time before he attacks. The only thing holding him back is the nukes of Thirteen that are aimed at the Capitol, just as their nukes are aimed at us. I've spent my month recovering and getting into the swing of being a hero, but how's he spent his month?

Surely he's got plenty of war plans already written up. The Capitol has some formidable military power, but nothing can last forever... right? Dad once said that if something can be built, it can be broken. I sure hope he was right. I try not to let out any tears as I think of my dead parent, but it's hard.

Whatever Snow has to say, I'm ready to make notes and learn everything I can. He might let a fact slip or say something I could use against him. And maybe...

...Maybe I'll find myself a step closer to rescuing Ula and Prim.

* * *

Four is truly is a worse state than ever. One can only wonder what the other Districts are looking like, huh? In any case, the mission was a success but the war is truly only just getting started. What lurks ahead and just how much of a bloodsoaked mess is it going to be? Stay tuned to find out!


	3. Act 1-3: As Seen On TV

**Disclaimer:** I do not own The Hunger Games They belong to Suzanne Collins.

 **Note:** Here we are, another chapter! Took me a bit longer than I had wanted to get this one done, but better late than never right? Already, Act 1 has come to an end and I'd say I feel fairly satisfied with that chapter. Of course, as you're the audience who read the story, I'll leave the ultimate judgement up to you guys. Hope you enjoy the mayhem!

* * *

 **ACT 1: THE INSPIRATION**

 **Part 3: As Seen On TV**

* * *

Everything is silent when we arrive at the cafeteria. Normally it's a place of what the locals refer to as 'organised chaos'; numerous loud talks, but with a system to them and nothing being misunderstood nor time wasted. Naturally, it means there are no quiet mealtimes.

It appears there's a first time for everything though. As I said, it's silent when we walk in and it's silent in the way where it's just too much so. It's honestly a bit creepy how all the normally loud residents of Thirteen are saying nothing, only staring at the TV screens.

I take a seat at a table, finding myself just as quiet and intent as I look at the TV. The screen simply has the words 'Please stand by, transmission starting soon. Mandatory.' Any minute now and President Snow will be addressing the nation. I ball my fists, angry at the mere thought of that horrible man showing his face. If I get my hands on him, he'll be sorry!

...Or, if not sorry, maybe just really bruised.

"What do you think he's gonna talk about?" Rue asks me from the seat next to me.

"I'm not sure. Whatever it is, it's not gonna be anything good," I tell her, not looking away from the screen. I won't miss a second of this.

"One can only hope he'll surrender," Timm says, sitting on my other side.

"As if we'd be that lucky," I mutter, shaking my head. "Nope, that's not Snow's style. I bet he'd keep the war and deaths going until his last breath."

"...Kinda like how we're pretty much having o fight to the very end, whether we live or not," Timm says, quietly.

"...Yeah," I say, frowning. "But we're not Snow. We're... not like him."

"Yeah, we don't have a beard," Rue adds, tiredly giggling. "...I'm so tired of fighting already."

"Same," I agree, without any hesitation. "But, what other choice is there? I mean, a chocie that won't lead to us being captured and..."

I trail off, not wanting to discuss the topic further. We all go very quiet after that, all of us no doubt wondering what the Capitol is doing to its prisoners. It's not just Ula and Prim they're got captive right now. Surely they have plenty of Victors trapped too, like Ron and Mags. No doubt plenty of other good people too.

I'm broken away from my thoughts when the national anthem of Panem begins to play on the TV, the seal of the Capitol being shown on screen. Feels strange that both those things are happening without faces being shown in the sky. You could say the two Hunger Games that I played in have made me associate faces of the dead with the anthem.

You have to admit, saying that really paints a picture of how crappy Panem really is. Was humanity always like thus? Divided and thirsting for blood? I can't help but think, or maybe just naively hope, it was nicer than this at one point of history. If not, I guess I'll be playing my part to make the future one full of peace, or at least no more arenas and dead children.

The screen changes to show President Snow sitting at a desk in what must be his office within his huge mansion. I think behind him is the balcony that he stands on to give his short pre-Games speech. I can't help but snicker when I recall the way Hopper ruined his last speech upon the balcony by throwing a shoe at him. Noticing Hopper smirking from a few seats down from myself, I get the feeling he remembers what he did as well.

Snow's certainly not smirking though. Indeed, the old man looks cold as his name implies and seems nothing but serious. I try not to shrink back as he frowns towards the camera, like he knows I'm watching.

For all I know, maybe he does know...

" _Hello Panem_ ," Snow begins. " _It is a dangerous time we live in, one that I had dearly hoped we had left behind long, long ago. Because of the cowardly, unprovoked actions of rebellion and terrorism at the Quarter Quell I fear that, once again, brother may turn on brother and lead us down a dark path. The rebels seem to have an issue with the Hunger Games, the very way we ensure our peace. They have issues with the generous Capitol. But I want to ask them, ask Urchin, this simple question... do they understand what a real war would lead to? Do they know just how high the death toll would be and the sheer number of innocents that would be hurt? Oh, I'm sure they fancy themselves heroes... but are they_?"

"Bit rich coming from the man who had Four bombed," Rue mutters. I nod my head, agreeing. What fools could possibly believe every word he's saying?

...The Capitol citizens, naturally. They trust him as their leader, their protector and their guide. If only I could just open their eyes to what a monster he is, to how wrong this all is. I wonder though, do they see me as nothing but a terrorist now? ...Does Rhonda still see me as a friend? It's all due to her help that I'm still alive right now.

" _I was a mere baby when the Dark Days came to their end, so I do not claim to have a strong memory of the bloodshed besides what I have seen on recordings and been told by those who were there. But, I do have the faintest memories of the screams and cries outside the hospital. However faint it is, this memory is not one I am willing to allow to happen again to my people_ ," he continues, eerily calm. " _The Capitol will fight hard until this foolish violence is ceased for the second, and final, time. Be aware rebels, if you are watching, that you cannot hope to win this war. It will only end in your destruction and, perhaps, additional punishments for those who remain if that is what is needed to keep the peace. Four tributes a year, maybe_?"

Everybody is silent, either uneasy or furious. I find myself to be a mixture of both, taking Rue's hand when she reaches for my own. Us and our fellow surviving tributes can only look at the screen, unable to even consider looking away. Snow talks a big game, but is that the whole point of this broadcast? Just mocking us and making himself look good for his own people?

" _District Four has sadly been neutralised. The terrorism within was too great, too dangerous, too far gone for there to be another solution. It was never what I wanted to happen, but I had to make the hardest choice imaginable for the betterment of Panem as a whole_ ," Snow says, looking down as if he were remorseful. Lying snake... " _After all of this ends, there will be efforts made to rebuild it. I am sure there will be_ _ **many**_ _willing volunteers from the Districts to work to restore things to the way they were_."

"We're gonna make him pay," I whisper, balling my hands into firm fists. "He'll pay for what he has done..."

"He'd send innocent people into the poisonous ruins of Four. They'd die," Rue says, gagging at the thought. "Can it be restored? Ever?"

"I have no idea," I whisper, shaking my head. "None."

" _Everything has been a bit uncertain since the Quell. It is one thing to say there is a war going on, but it's another entirely to interview somebody who was there when everything happened_ ," Snow says, calm as ever. He smirks, faintly. " _We'll be going over to Caesar Flickerman now where he'll be conducting a live interview with the female tribute of District Twelve, Primrose Everdeen_."

We're all silent as President Snow, still smirking, fades from sight and the Capitol Seal is once again displayed, the viewers asked to stand by. I feel my friends all looking at me, but I find myself instead looking at Hopper. He stares at the screen, a scowl on his face and the fires of rebellion in his eyes. Snow's got one powerful enemy, that's for sure.

"You ok?" I ask him, only realising a moment later that it's probably a dumb question.

"I will be once Snow's head is on a pike," he replies, not looking away from the TV screen. "What do you think Primrose is going to say?"

"They'll hurt her if she doesn't say what they want her to say," Timm mumbles, wringing his hands. "She might be forced to speak against us."

"I not blame her if she did," I say, starting to feel queasy. "It's hardly wrong to break from the fear of torture."

We don't get to discuss much more about this before the screen changes to show Caesar and Prim. I hardly pay any attention to Caesar - his signature colour this time changed to red - and instead look at my captured friend. Prim sure doesn't seem to be happy; that's got to be the most fake smile I have ever seen.

They may have done up Prim's hair to make her look nice, and perhaps they've gone to all efforts to give her a nice dress to wear, but it doesn't do anything to hide the fact she'd a prisoner of war and not doing so well. Maybe, being a survivor of the Hunger Games and a sufferer of the Capitol's cruelty, I can just tell this stuff better than the Capitol's citizens can. Whatever the case, I feel my heart starting to pound.

Please don't get yourself in trouble Prim!

" _Good evening, people of Panem_ ," Caesar begins, far less enthusiastic than I have ever known him to be. It's strange, seeing him so... tired. " _It's been quite a few... interesting weeks that we've been having since the Quell. Certainly, it's not the post-Games events I had been expecting. Now, we've heard it from our President but no we're going to be hearing it from an incredibly special guest, one who was an eye witness to everything that happened on that controversial final night of the Quell. Everybody, I give you Primrose Everdeen_."

" _Hello_..." Prim says, sounding exhausted.

" _So Prim, I guess it's hard to know where to start things off, or perhaps just hard to put it into words_ ," Caesar says, leaning forth a little. " _But, I'll do my best. So, it is a known fact that there are rebellious actions going on and it's already had quite a devastating impact. Tragic. But I feel like I am in the dark here. I can't claim to say I knew what was going on during that final night of the Games_."

Technically speaking, Caesar is right. He cannot claim to... as he would be killed. He was the one who gave me the vital clue about the ice at the edge of the arena. Rhonda saved me with her sponsors, but Caesar played a huge role as well. Now I find myself hoping Caesar won't get himself killed as well. It suddenly occurs to me just how much danger he's gotten himself into for my sake...

" _A lot of people have been saying that_ ," Prim says, tapping her fingers together. " _Apparently it was a bigger shock than the Games that ended in just six hours_."

" _It really gives a scope of how surprising it was_ ," Caesar agrees. " _So, talk us through it if you could. What happened that night, in your own personal recap_."

" _Well... it was hard. The first thing, being in the arena is like being in a totally different world_ ," she says, quietly. " _What other place expects, and encourages, you to be twelve years old and go around killing other people? If anybody tried that on the streets then they'd be executed wouldn't they_?"

"That is indeed correct," Caesar says slowly.

" _Well, that's what we had been dealing with for days. Murder, mutts and all kinds of horrors. After the Feast we all got separated. It took a while for me to find Rue after that and... well, you saw us. We just wandered around and eventually we were near the edge. We figured setting up a fire would draw Urchin closer towards us_ ," she says, pausing to take a sip of water from a glass beside her. " _We'd made it clear we were close and had no intent to kill each other. I cared about them too much and I think by that point there'd be enough murder going on_."

" _That's fair. I understand it would be a stressful situation for tributes so young, and a Games can have a victor without the need for you to fight each other. There are other... methods_ ," Caesar says. " _Now, even if we ignore the outspoken and controversial words of Urchin, Rue and others such as your District Partner, the real action went down a while after Colm's cannon went off_."

Prim nods, considering her words. I see a glimmer of... something, in her eye. Was it mischief, or perhaps determination? I pale, wondering what she is going to do. Would they shoot her on camera to send a message? Please, no! Not Prim!

" _We all just set down our weapons and stopped fighting. It didn't matter if we were previous Victors, from the Seam, had special needs, were middle class fabric workers or were training for the Games for a few years... we were just kids, being friends_ ," Prim says, softly. " _We'd had enough. We were_ _ **done**_ _playing that terrible Game. Then Lucia started to interfere and threaten us... Urchin tricked the Gamemakers into opening the way out and we took our chance to make a break for it. I have no idea where they are, but... I hope they're ok_."

I'm amazed that they've not cut the footage yet. No doubt this means there's still something coming to turn this around. Raise our hopes and then crush them. That's the Capitol way, after all. Prim doesn't seem afraid though... I sure hope she knows what she's doing. Or, if she does, then hopefully she knows the risks. One wrong move, and Prim may become an Avox.

" _But, you have to also know, that such actions like what happened... it's blatantly illegal_ ," Caesar says, carefully. " _It could be said that it's against the rules to escape and be quite as defiant as Urchin, Rue, Hopper and, well, every remaining tribute was that night_."

"Maybe," Prim agrees. "But, there's just one thing Caesar."

" _And what's that_?" Caesar asks. " _Got more light to shed on this situation_?"

" _I do_ ," Prim replies, taking a deep breathe. "... _I've been told to speak against the rebels. That a war is costly, that it's wrong, that it's terrorism. Maybe it is all of those things. I can't deny a war is horrible_."

Around me people are starting to get restless, yelling out accusations against Prim. I feel my temper rising as they bellow out how she's a traitor, a coward. I'm ready to stand and tell them to shut up, but Hopper beats me to it.

"Oi! Shut your noise holes!" he barks. "Prim's not done yet!"

Indeed not. Prim takes a moment to gather her bearings, and resumes. I grip the edge of the table tightly, wondering what she is going to say. One wrong word and she could be turned into an Avox. Maybe even a mutt; it's surely not impossible, right?

" _But, is Capitol rule much better_?" she asks, firm. A far cry from the trembling girl at the reaping of the 74th Hunger Games, saved only by her brave big sister. " _You starve your citizens, kill them for little misdeeds and you took my sister from me_! _Are you proud of cheering for the painful deaths of over one thousand seven hundred innocent children_? _I support the rebellion and_ -!"

The camera cuts off into thick static, the last sound I hear being many footsteps marching towards the stage and both Caesar and Prim yelling something. The please stand by message appears again, but I don't even give it a second glance.

What has Prim gotten herself into?

She spoke out, surely knowing there would be consequences. I have no doubts that she's in for a painful time, perhaps as I speak. Beatings, torture, execution... no, no, no! Shit! Forgive my potty mouth, but... shit!

Prim...

"Hear that?" Hopper asks the crowd. "Not such a traitor or a coward is she? Yeah, that's what I thought."

Everybody is silent after this, perhaps unsure of what to do now. This, I cannot blame them for. I'm hardly anymore sure myself. I mean, Prim just spoke on our behalf despite the massive danger she's gotten herself into. It could help our cause, but it sure won't help her safety. I glance around, wondering what my options are.

Hopper has already jumped up, making a beeline over towards Boggs. I can't hear what they're discussing over the noise of the chattering crowd, but whatever Hopper said it's clear that Boggs finds it amusing... perhaps worth his time too, as they shake hands on whatever it is Hopper suggested.

At the table with me I can see that my friends seem uncertain just like I am. Valkri sits silently as she has been this whole time. She rises, leaving without a word towards the medical room. Perhaps to watch over Tack again?

Electra mumbles, scared by all of the noise. She buries her face against Timm's chest, whimpering. He holds her gently, trying to calm her down. He looks so lost, but Electra doesn't seem to mind the hug he gives her. He looks at me, wincing.

"We need to get her out of there. Fast," he says, shivering. "Don't Thirteen have spies in the Capitol or something?"

"That they do!" Rue says, rising up. "Urchin, we should talk to Coin and Plutarch. Prim is in danger, and she's just confirmed herself as a rebel to all of Panem. Surely they'd want to save her!"

"Then we have no time to waste," I agree, jumping up. I can't help but wonder if they might call it too risky to try a rescue mission, but we've got to at least do something. Prim just put herself on the line for us. Least we can do is everything humanely possible to get her here and into safety. "Do you see them?"

Rue gets on the table, peering around the noisy room. She gives me a helpless shrug, shaking her head. They're gone, if they'd even been here to begin with. No sign of the rebel leaders, not one.

"Wait, they'll be in Coin's office," I realise a moment later. "You remember the way, right?"

"Of course," Rue says, already pulling me along. "Let's go! Let's go!"

And so, we do. As I'm led along, I spot Timm leading Electra off to the sleeping area. Probably the best place for her to get some quiet time. I can't help but wonder... Electra said she heard a monster in the basement earlier. Maybe it'll be something worth checking out when I get a free moment? I've never been down to the lowest levels of Thirteen.

Does Thirteen have Mutts of its own?

* * *

 **(Not much later...)**

* * *

It turned out Coin was not at her office and neither was Plutarch. Thankfully, the guards by her door were able to point us in the right direction. That's why Rue and myself stand in what I guess could be called the 'Propo Room'. All sorts of monitors are set up here with more buttons than I can think of uses for. It looks incredibly complicated, far beyond anything I could understand.

Luckily, it seems that Thirteen has got the right man for the job when it comes to working out this stuff. Beetee, one of the Victors from District Three, types away swiftly at the control panel while Cressida and her camera crew stand back to watch. Looks like they're already done editing the propo; I can't help but feel a little eager to see how it looks and just how, well, badass I looked during the mission. I'd like to think I did a good job.

Might make the bite wound in my shoulder worth it.

That's not the main priority though. Not when Plutarch and Coin are seated at a table, observing all of the screens and talking quietly to each other. As Rue and I approach them we overhear a few words of what they're saying.

"-broke the rules and must be treated as appropriate. My men will handle it," Coin says.

"Kids make mistakes," Plutarch replies. "Big ones perhaps, but still. Just be firm, but fair."

"That was the plan," Coin says. "Beetee, how much longer until the propo will be ready to put through to the Districts?"

"Not long," Beetee says, shortly. "I've never found a system I couldn't hack. For all their military might, the Capitol don't protect their signal waves very well. Half an hour, maybe even less."

"Good," Coin says, satisfied.

That's when Coin finally notices our footsteps, glancing back. She gives us a nod, not smiling nor even sightly changing her completely calm expression. I can't help but fidget for a moment.

"Your propo looks very good," she says. "It'll inspire plenty of people. In fact, it might be exactly what we need to start getting some of the Districts out of the Capitol's control. Ten is already likely to be out of their control soon enough propo or not. Same for Nine. Both have done well with their acts of sabotage and trap setting."

"Excellent idea Urchin, suggesting the mission. Perfect success," Plutarch says, shaking my hand. "Keep on like that and we can stand a chance to win this war with minimal causalities. It was exactly what we needed."

"Oh, um, you're welcome," I say, awkwardly giving him a nod. "I just did what came natural, really."

"Isn't this guy the best?" Rue asks, softly giggling. "So, uh, speaking of causalities... Prim needs help! Right now! You saw the broadcast, she just spoke against the Capitol and they cut off the video. They might be beating her up!"

"Or worse," I mutter, sick at the thought. "Can't we do something to help her? She's on our side, you know she is! Please, help her. _Please_."

"It might be too late," Coin states. "She did us a great service, but she could be too far gone already."

"Well, what if she's not?" Rue huffs, crossing her arms. "She could be alive and in need of rescue!"

Coin doesn't respond, just keeping the exact same cold look on her face. Plutarch, thankfully, seems more receptive.

"I see this going two ways," he says, calmly. "She could do us a wonderful service as an ally within Thirteen, and so I'll see what I can do. I believe there is a chance we can rescue her, though it won't be an overnight effort. I could get the ball rolling at least."

It's not the rescue I'd wanted, but at least he'll do something. I accept this, my thoughts brimming with worry for my trapped friend. I can only hope rescue can reach her before it's too late... assuming it's not too late already.

Shit. I can't lose another friend. Not after I've already lost so many!

"What's the second way it could go?" I ask him.

"Prim would be a martyr for the rebellion," he says. "Her memory, her sacrifice, it would help us a lot. When it comes of fighting for something, a martyr tends to cause a lot of inspiration."

I don't know it Plutarch realises how cold he sounds and how much I feel like backhanding him for that callous remark, but goof grief! Prim is a person, not some statistic or name to be used as he sees fit. She's a girl in trouble, and she needs rescuing.

"I'd much prefer the first outcome," I say, trying to keep my temper in check. It's a struggle.

Whatever Plutarch was going to say next is cut off by a large screen built into the wall of the room starting to play the Panem anthem. We all turn to it as one, the Capitol Seal displayed prominently. My heart begins to race, dreading what I might see on screen in a matter of moments.

"Nobody in the Capitol mentioned a second broadcast was planned," Plutarch mutters, looking a little uneasy.

I slowly sit in an empty share, my eyes glued to the screen. Rue sits on the chair beside mine, her hand holding my own. She gives my hand a squeeze.

"Please, Prim..." she shudders, trailing off. Like me, she's no doubt full of all kinds of worrying thoughts.

As soon as the screen comes into focus, I can't hold back a scream. I'm not even sure if it's relief of terror. Maybe it's both.

Ula!

Oh my sweet little sister, you're ok...

Ula sits where Prim had been sitting not long ago, smiling just the way I remember. Same smile, some curls in her hair... it's her. All that's different is the Capitol dress she's wearing. I freeze, seeing a tiny dribble of blood on the chair behind her. The camera has it blurred out in an instant, but I know what I saw. Shit, no, no...

Caesar was uneasy enough when interviewing Prim, but now he looks distinctly uncomfortable. Whether it's from the beating – or worse... - that Prim must have gotten, or from the fact he's now having to interview a little girl aged five, six in a week, I'm less sure. I don't care. I just rise up, slowly walking closer to the screen.

"Ula..." I whisper, staring helplessly.

I'd do anything to save her. Anything. She's safe for now, no visible wounds, but for how long? So long as Snow's got her it means he's got some power over me. Could I remain as a Mockingjay if he threatened to kill her? What would I do if she died and I was still alive to fight?

I try not to vomit over such horrible thoughts.

Rue walks beside me, gently taking me into a hug, but but I don't return it. I hardly feel it, my focus entirely on Ula and Caesar.

...Wait, they're not alone.

It doesn't even take an instant for me to recognise Lucia, the Head Gamemaker of the Quell. She sits on a chair in the background, not making a sound. I knew her to be a rather calm woman in our brief interactions... well, at least until my constant defiance made her _really_ lose her cool as the Quell went on. Even now, her eye is twitching.

The woman beside her though, she's somebody I have never seen before. She writes calmly in a notebook, occasionally glancing up to look at Ula before returning to her notes. She turns to look at the camera for a brief moment.

I barely manage to hold back a scream.

That eye... it's so unnatural. So nasty.

Maybe I'm just being overly sensitive, but... geez! Her right eye is pure red all over, covered by a white pattern that looks like the aiming reticle you'd get from a sniper scope. It's among the top ten freakiest things I can recall seeing in my short life.

I don't like the way the sniper eyed women looks at Ula...

" _Welcome, people of Panem, to a very special interview. Perhaps even moreso than the interview with Primrose Everdeen a short while ago_ ," Caesar begins. He's having issues smiling, perhaps for the first time in his long career. " _Joining us is a very gentle girl. A young citizen of District Four that was rescued from harm, please can we give a warm welcome to Ula Hook... younger sister of Victor and, uh, rebel Urchin Hook_."

Ula waves to am imaginary crowd, giggling to herself. Does she know what's going on? Does she know the danger she is in? She's so young, but surely she knows all is not right. Is she forcing a smile just like Caesar is? It's hard to tell... Ula, don't do what Prim did.

Suddenly, the thought has my heart pounding and my stomach churning horribly. I sway for a moment, only Rue's hold keeping me standing. It's all too apparent that Ula could be shot on camera if that's what Snow wants.

" _So, Ula_ ," Caesar begins gently. " _How are you tonight_?"

" _Tired_ ," Ula says. " _I miss home. I want mommy, daddy and Urchin but they keep saying I can't go home yet_. _Where's Urchin_? _Is he on another adventure_?"

" _It... isn't exactly inaccurate to say so_ ," Caesar says, carefully. " _Ula, how about you tell us about your big brother? Take your time, there's no wrong answers here_."

" _He's the best big brother ever! He takes me fishing, he gives me shoulder rides, he was a hero on TV... he's my hero_ ," Ula says, beaming. " _I really miss him Caesar. I want to go home and see him again. Maybe we could go fishing_."

Oh, what I would give for that...

I should be happy, seeing Ula alive and hearing her saying all these lovely things about me. But I can't. I can't feel anything but a cold dread. Whether she knows it or not she's a prisoner, even if she's being treated alright. Plus, I keep getting chills from the way the women with the sniper eye keeps looking at her...

" _What would you say to him, if you could talk to him right now_?" Caesar asks her. " _If he's watching, somewhere out there, perhaps you have something to tell your big brother_?"

" _Hmmm... I miss you Urchy. I hope we can go home soon_ ," she says, softly. She gives a wave to the camera. " _Tell mommy and daddy I really miss them, ok_?"

"I will," I mumble, knowing she cannot hear me. "...I can tell one of them anyway..."

" _Now, this might be a lot to take in at once Ula, but your brother... he's in a bit of trouble with the Capitol_ ," Caesar says, slowly.

" _I'm sure he didn't mean it_ ," Ula says, quietly. Her eyes go wide. " _He's a good boy. Just ask mommy, she'd tell you that_!"

I'm not a good boy, not really. I'm a murderer, and I've outright said I'd do anything it takes to save Ula. Could I bring myself to kill more people, whether they're evil or just in the way if it means bringing Ula safely home, or at least safely into my arms?

...Yes.

" _Well, it's just that his actions and defiance in the Quell have been noted as illegal, to be blunt_ ," Caesar explains, his smile starting to vanish.

"... _Defiance_?" Ula says, confused. " _Mr Caesar, what does that mean_?"

Lucia starts to laugh, low and sinister. It's creepy, to see the once stoic Gamemaker acting so emotional and without any of her past restraint. I must have done a real number on her.

Lucia doesn't speak, only laughing and giggling. But, even she stops when the other woman rises to her feet. She stares at Caesar. I don't miss the fact Caesar seems just as creeped out by that eye of hers as I do.

" _That will be enough_ ," says the woman, her voice lacking any sort of... well, anything. It's so plain. Kinda spooky, really.

" _But, I..._ " Caesar mumbles, trailing off.

" _We're on a schedule_ ," the women continues, frowning slightly.

She stares at Caesar, that sniper eye of hers unblinking. Caesar flinches, but regains himself. He rises and gently helps Ula off of her chair. If nothing else, at least Caesar is nice to her.

" _Thanks for coming by, Ula_ ," Caesar says as the woman and Lucia move towards her. " _Be safe and-."_

" _We're on a schedule,"_ the woman repeats, firmer than before as she reaches Ula.

" _Bye-bye Caesar_ ," Ula says, smiling. " _Tell Urchin I miss him, ok_? _Promise_?"

" _I promise_ ," Caesar says, managing a weak smile.

Iris takes Ula's hand, leading her off the stage. I see red, snarling and shouting.

"Get your hand off my sister, you fiend!" I screech, feeling like I'm getting light headed. The sniper eyed woman is holding my sister's hand. That horrid woman has her right there. Get away from her!

But of course, she cannot hear me. She just leads Ula away, with Lucia walking alongside her snickering quietly. The sniper eyed woman glances to the camera for a moment.

I gulp, staring at the sniper eye once again. For a moment I swear the sniper pattern started to rotate... am I seeing things? I don't get a second chance to check, as the woman leaves.

" _Well, if you're watching this from somewhere out there Urchin... Ula misses you_ ," Caesar says, his smile looking painful to keep on his face. " _To think, just over seven months ago ago you were playing up the cute kid angle at the interviews when we first met_."

Caesar clears his throat, pausing to take a sip of water.

" _There you all have it_ ," Caesar says. " _Two key accounts of that night in the Quell and of the ringleader of the controversy. Primrose and Ula gave us a lot to think about, I believe. I find myself echoing the sentiment, we don't want a war. Certainly not; plenty of better things we could be doing. Such as, to name one, giving the spotlight back to our dear President_."

Sure enough, screen soon shows President Snow once again. It's hard to focus on what's saying after just seeing Ula led off by that horrible Gamemaker and the sniper eyed woman. If they harm even the tiniest hair on Ula's head, I'm gonna... I'm gonna kill them!

I mean it. I know, deep down, I would do anything to save her. If it meant killing Lucia and other Capitol brutes... fine.

She tried to kill me plenty of times. I'm just working to even the score... yeah, that's it.

" _It is a dangerous time we live in, but that makes it all the more important to do our part to keep this great country stable_ ," Snow says, smiling. To some, it looks grandfatherly. To me, it looks like poison. " _If you see anything, or anybody, that makes you feel suspicious please alert your nearest Peacekeeper unit and they will handle it. The Capitol was able to defeat the dangerous rebels once and it will do so again in short order. Thank you all for tuning in. Panem Today, Panem Tomorrow, Panem Forever. Long live the Capitol_."

The screen fades out and all is silent in the room. It's a while before anybody speaks.

"Urchin...?" Rue asks, worried.

I don't respond, still staring at the TV screen.

"Urchin?"

Lucia and her companion have Ula in their grasp. She could do any number of horrible things to her. The thought has my blood running cold and boiling hot at the same time. If we get a Hovercraft out there right now then maybe we could-.

"Urchin!"

I'm spun on the spot, finding myself looking right into Rue's eyes.

"Breath Urchin, breath!" she says, holding me close. "You're panicking. Calm, calm. Deep breathes."

It only now occurs to me just how short on breath I was and how rapidly I'd be choking air in and out. This must have been the point of that entire interview. Show me that they have Ula and can do anything that they want to her. If I'm not there in time, then what's stopping them from having her killed?

Nothing!

I'm hardly aware as Rue leads me to a chair, yelling for somebody to help me. I choke out, pleading somebody to save Ula, to storm the Capitol before it's too late. A prick in my neck suddenly has all my words coming out incredibly slurred, and then not at all.

I slump back, exhaling deeply as everything gets blurry and dark. The last thing I see is Rue shaking me, panic in her eyes and Plutarch looking incredibly uneasy.

* * *

 **(Later...)**

* * *

Dim lights greet me as my eyes open. I'm alert quickly, glancing around for danger. It's only after a full minute of frantic looking about the room and my heart pounding that I decide there's nothing dangerous in here with me.

This is how every morning is for me these days. I wake up and instantly enter what some call survival mode. I'm always convinced that I could be killed the moment I wake up. Honestly, I don't think it's all too unlikely.

Rue has offered to sleep beside me, to be here if I need it. Thing is, she sometimes wakes up screaming too. That, and part of me is terrified I might wrongly see her as a danger and do something I'd never forgive myself for.

The list of things I'll never forgive myself for is already pretty long. Knocking Glimmer into boiling water, failing to save Dory, not convincing Cobalt to come with me and Electra instead of going off on his own, every murder I've committed.

It's a wonder sometimes that mom still cares about me. I'm not the same son of hers I used to be.

Seems like I'm back in the medical area. The same place I first woke up when I got to Thirteen a couple of weeks ago. Looks the same as ever... how did I get here again?

"Anybody here?" I call out.

The door swiftly opens, a doctor coming in. He doesn't look at me as he speaks, instead neatly arranging his equipment. He sums up that I had a panic attack and needed to be sedated before I hurt either myself or anybody else. I trace a hand to my neck, right at the spot where I felt the prick. People here sure love sticking a needle in their problems, especially the loud ones.

It's not long before he dismisses me, saying that as I'm now considered to be calm and stress free he has no reason to keep me. Frankly, I disagree on being without stress but I hold my tongue on that. I don't like being stuck in medical areas. They give me the creeps.

As soon as I'm at the door I start hearing a commotion on the other side. It's only a few seconds of shouting before I hear the voice of my mother.

"Mom?" I say, opening the door. "MOM! Get off her!"

The guard release her in an instant, quickly stepping back. I'm sure once upon a time I might have found it sort of funny that grown men with armour and weapons back off on my command – I mean, I'm a shrimp – but any comedy is gone when I see how mom looks dishevelled and shaken.

"What were you doing?" I ask them, standing beside mom. I take her hand and she holds me close a moment later. "If you hurt my mom, the deal's off!"

They flinch, just for a moment. One of them steps back, glancing to the other. The guard frowns at his squad member, soon turning back to me.

"She was not where her schedule specified that she had to be," he says. "She resisted attempts to direct her there. We had to be certain she was not going to disrupt Thirteen's day to day life."

I flinch, seeing a fresh bruise on mom's arm.

"How could mom have disrupted anything?" I ask them, narrowing my eyes. "It's not hard to work out what she wanted."

"...To disrupt Thirteen?" asks the guard.

At this, I facepalm.

"She wanted to check on me, you putz!" I snap, my eye s narrowed further.

"That's right," mom adds, her frown matching my own. "My little man got sent to the medical area What mother wouldn't be here to make sure her own was ok? I've lost Marlin and Ula is... _there_. Urchin is all I have."

She holds me, protective. I have to stop myself flinching from the tightness of the hold for a moment. I focus myself in glaring at the guards. They back away, as if realising that maybe, just maybe... pissing off their head Mockingjay is a bad idea!

They leave quickly after that, muttering apologies that I hardly even listen to. My focus is more on the fact mom's got a few bruises. She sits down, still holding my close. With her grip now less like some kind of a vice, I have to say I don't mind. This is nice.

"How long has it been?" she asks me, quietly. "How long since we were able to sit quietly, just like a normal mother and son."

She sighs, more depressed than pained. I'm sure my expression matches her own right now. We're really not much of a normal family anymore, are we? Hostage daughter, killer son, dead father and exhausted mother. To think the Hook family were once perfectly middle class. Nothing really special at all. I miss that.

"I guess it's been as long as... well, as many days as it has been since the reaping for the Seventy Fourth Hunger Games," I say, haunted. "Everything changed when Prussia picked my name from the bowl."

"Mmm," mom says, holding me a bit tighter. "She's dead. Apparently she was 'found murdered by a rebel'."

"Snow had her killed for pulling my name and starting all of this," I say, shaking my head.

"I don't know how to feel," mom says, lost. "If your name was never picked then things would be normal. Still plenty of horrible Games, but at least our family would still be together. But your name has been picked... maybe the Capitol will lose, maybe. But, what's it going to cost us?"

"Everything," I say, without hesitation. "Just, hopefully it stops costing us before it requires our lives. Mom, I'm scared."

"I'd be stunned if you weren't," she tells me. "You're a brave little man, but you're still young. Too young. What kid wouldn't be scared?"

"Well, Hopper's never shown a sign of fear," I admit. "He's always confident. Reckless. Like... like he can do anything."

"Oh, I am sure he's afraid," mom says, confident of this. "Some just seem to hide it better than others. I can just tell these things, he's not fearless. Nobody is."

"Not you? Not Snow?" I ask, quietly.

"I'm not, and even that wicked man must be scared of something," mom tells me, nodding. "...You were amazing out there. In Four. Your propo has been airing in the Districts all day. Saving Nella, Zabrina and Tack, fighting the monsters... Urchin, I am so proud of you. My sweet little man, you're growing up!"

"Aw mom..." I blush, managing a weak smile.

My smile vanishes as soon as my thoughts drift to focus on Ula.

"Snow's got her," I whisper. "She in the clutches of Lucia and some other horrid women right now."

"I know," mom says, just as pained as I am. "You've not just got a sister held prisoner. I've got a daughter trapped in that terrible place. ...We'll get her back."

"Yeah, we will," I vow, unsure how much I believe my own words. Does mom believe her words either?

She must. I must. It's that or... no, I won't think about it! I glance around, looking for any sort of distraction. All I see are Nella, Zabrina and Tack laying unconscious in hospital beds. All three are on life support, almost motionless. Valkri sits beside Tack's bed, looking to be in a deep sleep. Not the distraction I'm looking for.

Mom and I sit here for a while, staying in a forlorn embrace. We're really the only family that we've got left now... well, except Finnick. I wonder where he's gotten to right now; I sure could use one of his famous pep talks.

Eventually, maybe half an hour of silence later, mom rises. I do the same, walking beside her as we head to the hallway outside the medical room. The light flickers, glowing brighter for a moment. Mom's bruises are highlighted in that moment, making me flinch.

"They hurt you, mom," I mutter, again starting to feel a nasty bitterness rising within me. "Do you need medical aid? Anything?"

"I'll be fine," she says, trying not to shake.

"Mom-," I try to say but she speak over me.

"I'm the parent. You don't have to worry about me... worrying over you is what I need to be doing," she says, shaking her head. "You've been through so much. I can go through a few bumps and bruises of my own."

"I know you can, but... you shouldn't have to mom," I say, quietly. "They're supposed to be on our side. Why did they do that, it doesn't make any sense."

Mom doesn't respond, just as afraid as me. Having to live here, in the same place as guards who were hitting her, no wonder she's shaken. I sure would be. Actually, no... I already am.

This shouldn't have happened. I'm gonna be having a word with Coin about this. I need them on my side if I am to ever see Ula again, but they need me if they want to win this rebellion. If... if I can perhaps make this fact clear and demand Coin gets her guards to behave right now, then mom will not have to worry about this happening a second time?

I get the feeling Thirteen isn't quite the place I thought it was. Such a tiny little step out of line and it earned mom some bruises. I wonder what might have happened if it she did something 'worse'...

"How about we go and see your propo?" mom suggests, tiredly. "It's been inspiring a lot of people, they say."

I'm quick to agree, having not seen it yet. As we walk to the viewing room where I had a panic attack earlier, mom asks me if I've seen Coral today/ Apparently she was gone when her parents went back to their room after dinner yesterday. At first they thought she'd ran off in a huff after she'd been thrashed for her almost lethal recklessness but now they are getting worried.

As I tell her I've not seen her, I find myself feeling worried as well. Where could she be? Is she hiding somewhere... a chill passes up my spine. She broke the rules far beyond my mom's tiny action. What if they beat her up too, and did it worse?!

I hope Coin has answers. She better!

* * *

 **(Not much later...)**

* * *

Once again, I enter the viewing room, this time with mom beside me. The monitors seem even more alive than before, many buttons glowing and people typing away at various keyboards upon them. All seems to be busy without any signs of stopping.

I walk in, glancing around at everybody at work. Beetee is now sitting with Coin and Plutarch at their desk, the three in a quiet discussion. It seems like they're pleased, though Plutarch still looks a bit... well, off? He seems like he's got worries on his mind. I can relate...

I spot Rue and Finnick standing together by a monitor, both engaged in whatever it is they're watching.

That's when I see myself on the screen, the propo starting from the beginning. Good timing, right?

Slowly, I sit down in a chair, watching the propo with wide eyes. I can't help staring at it, stunned that the brave figure on screen is actually _me_. Rue and Finnick move over, but I don't respond. Rue stands behind me, her arms hooked around me in a friendly hug as she settles to watch the propo for what must be the lastet time in a long list.

"Young love," I hear mom say, softly laughing.

"A wonderful thing," Finnick agrees, fondness in his voice.

Rue swoons behind me, but I can't pay that nor the words of my mom and uncle any attention. I just sit, still staring at the screen.

The propo opens to footage of myself on the hovercraft with the rest of those on the mission. I hadn't really realised Cressida had her camera turned on that early, but I guess not a moment was wasted. As we're shown sitting, Coin's voice speaks over the footage.

" _A normal person might hesitate before they do something. But a hero... a hero acts_ ," she says, grandly. " _They act without any hesitation if it means doing what is right_."

Coral is shown stumbling out of the box. The footage jumps around a bit, cutting out most of her being scolded and moving onwards to all of us readying ourselves for the jump. Coral falls out of the hovercraft with a terrified scream. On screen, I jump out right after her.

I didn't realise I'd look so... badass. Holy crap, I actually look like I know exactly what I'm doing.

" _He survived two Hunger Games. He escaped the Capitol and left them in chaos. He jumped out of a hovercraft and free-fell thousands of feet to save his friend. Urchin Hook continues to fight and is on your side_."

The camera zooms in on me as Cressida HALO jumps off of the hovercraft, showing me falling fast and grabbing hold of Coral. Cressida and the others soon start to land in a separate direction, but the camera shows Coral and myself landing on the ground, more or less fine.

" _His home, the beautiful District Four, was destroyed by the Capitol. A cowardly, unprovoked attack after Urchin escaped their terrible arena. Innocents hurt, many more dead and a land forever changed. But this hasn't stopped him. Only twelve, he's done so much. What's stopping you from also rising against the tyrant in charge_?"

The screen changes to showing me at the Victors Village, working fast to get through the debris that trapped Tack. Coral and Valkri are beside me, their past-selves working hard. As the camera comes nearer to me, I turn around and yell at them to put it down and help.

" _It wasn't good enough for Urchin to merely save one innocent person from danger. He went back out there, facing against toxins and terrible mutts. He knew there was danger, but it wouldn't stop him from ensuring the safety of his fellow rebels of various Districts, nor the innocent young women in danger_."

The screen shows me refusing to stay in the safety of the hovercraft, choosing to run off to the factory swarming with Groaners. Cressida gets some great shots of the action... seems like the editors made sure to include the most gruesome and tense stuff. No details are spared, least of all the wormheaded Groaner that bit into my shoulder, nor the fear in the eyes of my allies.

Nor the blood. The blood is everywhere. Some seems to have been digitally splashed onto the camera. Ew...

" _The Capitol claims to provide, but they have to take in order to survive. They take food, they take the most basic of commodities, they even take away life itself. All they give is blood, murder and vicious monsters. But Urchin didn't show fear; even after being wounded his focus remained on saving as many people as he could_."

With the tidal wave approaching and the grim background music coming to a climax, I see us running through the streets. The footage cuts between us running away and images of snarling, vicious Groaners and Air Screamers. Even knowing that we made it out alive and that there are no beats like those anywhere near me I still feel nervous. On screen, I plead for us to spend more time looking for anybody else who might still need help.

..Hang on, so that's why Hopper fell behind! I thought he'd tripped, but it seems that when we briefly passed by Dory's house he grabbed something he saw in the ruined front yard. I can't make out what it is, but it's certainly something to ask him about.

I guess he still feels something for my fallen friend. He was, after all, Dory's 'Mr Right'.

...Even just seeing a recording of the tidal wave destroying what little was left of my home hurts a lot. Not as much as seeing it live, but it's an unpleasant reminder of just what the Capitol is capable of. That tidal wave was all them, it had to be.

"What's in that water?" Rue mumbles behind me as we watch the tidal wave cause the buildings to start melting away into nothing.

I don't want to know. The propo closes out with final shots showing the devastation of Four from the sky as the hovercraft leaves.

" _Do you want this to happen to your own District the next time the Capitol gets angry at a twelve year old who hoodwinked them? No, you wouldn't. Rise up, unite and fight! The Capitol has played a deadly game with us for too long. It's time we changed the rules and showed them that actions have consequences. For a free Panem, a future without fear... rise up and let the Capitol burn_!"

The video shows Coin, sitting behind a desk. Behind her is a screen playing more and more footage of myself fighting, running, being brave... I guess the sorts of stuff people have come to expect from me, huh?

" _District Thirteen is here to help. Together, we can defeat the Capitol and unite the nation_. _Just think, if a few twelve year olds can cause the Capitol so much trouble... what could we do if we all work together_?"

The propo comes to an end, showing a black screen with a burning mockingjay in the middle. It spreads it's wings, free as a... well, bird. A moment later it flies away, leaving behind the fire. The fire soon burns to resemble a star. Or, maybe, a starfish.

The same starfish that was my token in my first Hunger Games, the same one that got Marvel killed and started my life as a rebel.

"You were amazing," Rue whispers. "Holy crap, I feel inspired just watching that! Fiftieth time and it's still brilliant."

"Thanks," I say, quietly. "I did my best. Think it's done any good?"

"Well, it's made me smile," she says, hugging me. "I'm so proud. When did my boyfriend become such a badass?"

"...Uh, well..." I pause, trying to think of specific day. "...Going off to that Feast to get the poison antidote you needed."

Coin approaches us, Plutarch following close behind. Both look pleased, but once again I cannot miss how uneasy Plutarch looks. What's bugging him?

"Yes, that was very good. I played my part fine, of course, but you were the star of that propo Urchin," Coin says. "You met every expectation I had."

"It wasn't just me," I say, awkwardly. "I had a lot of help from everybody who went with me."

"Regardless, you got the job done. You really are quite the Mockingjay," Coin continues, briefly glancing towards Rue. "We'll find you a propo to take part in as well, Rue. I have some ideas in mind. I'm wanting a propo from every Mockingjay in the 'flock' by the end of the week. You can do that, yes?"

"No problem," Rue says, giving a perky thumbs up. "How hard could it be?"

"Don't jinx it," I let out a groan. "So, how many people have seen it?"

"Probably everybody in the Districts who has been near a TV in the past few hours," she says. "It's not aired in the Capitol, not yet anyway, but it's doing its job just fine in the Districts. Reports have been coming in about all kinds of uprisings going on. Plutarch, if you would?"

"Fine," he says, glancing at a paper in his hand. Still, he has that look in his eyes... what is up with this guy?! "In order of District number; nothing of note in One. Minor riots in Two. Electric traps set up in Three. May Four rest in peace. Wires cut in Five, disabling power that the Peacekeepers need. Destruction of rails in Six to trap ill-equipped Peacekeepers. Bombs set off in forests within Seven. Gunfights and heavy vandalism in Eight. Burnt silos and factory's in Nine, with the main Peacekeeper barracks destroyed in a suicide mission. Destruction of Peacekeeper property through the use of angry livestock in Ten and a wrecked Peacekeeper hovercraft due to a reported 'mysterious sniper'. Burnt fields and one of two secondary water irrigation systems blown up in Eleven. Mines made to collapse in Twelve."

"How many people died?" I ask, quietly.

"...Unknown," Plutarch says. "I'd estimate a moderately high toll at the moment."

"There's been enough death," I mutter.

"Not until Snow himself is disposed of," Coin says. "My office, now. We should talk over this and the next steps of the rebellion in deeper, private detail."

Coin and Plutarch lead us – that is to say myself, Rue and Finnick – out of the viewing room. Mom tries to come with me, but Coin makes a hand motion upon seeing her. A guard is quick to block her way. I ball my fists, unhappy with the way the guard harshly demands she turn the other way.

"I think we need to negotiate a bit," I say, cold. "I'm not happy with some of the things going on here in Thirteen. Two of your guards bruised my mom."

"They what?!" Rue asks, gasping.

"That's not on," Finnick says, a dangerous look in his eyes. "That's my sister back there. If you're treating her badly, then we have a problem."

"We can discuss that after all prior items on the meeting agenda have been properly talked over," Coin says, unconcerned.

Coin may be the leader of the rebellion, and naturally this means I'll need her if I'm to save Prim and Ula. She's got the power needed to get them out of the Capitol. But I'm finding it hard to deal with her right now, and the war has hardly begun. I sure hope she's got some good answers or is willing to better handle her guards... because I'm finding it hard to reign in my anger right now.

I can't help thinking on the report Plutarch read out. So much rebellion and violence in nearly every District; the war has truly begun and shows no signs of stopping. I can't help but grimace, though, at how it must all look up close. I saw all the destruction of Four, but that was weeks after the 'action' had all died down. What's it like in a real warzone, one still with battles being fought?

If I had to guess, easily ten times more gruesome than any given Cornucopia Bloodbath. The thought makes me shudder something awful. Rue, too, doesn't look happy. Her normally cheerful, if exhausted, expression has become anxious and afraid.

"Thinking about Eleven?" I ask her, taking a gentle hold of her hand.

"Yes," she says, sniffling. "My family, Urchin, they're still out there. I don't even know what's going on with them. Eleven's always been on a very tight leash; it'll be carnage over there. I'm scared."

"So am I Rue," I tell her, squeezing her hand. "So am I."

* * *

 **(Not much later...)**

* * *

We sit in Coin's office, the room feeling a bit suffocating. I feel especially small on my chair, perhaps due to the four armed guards standing off to the sides of the room. If Coin's one thing, besides a rebel leader, then it's dedicated to security.

For a while now we've been going over plans of action for the future. I find a lot of the wording hard to understand, but Plutarch has translated for me. Basically, if we're going to take the Capitol down for good, we need every single District under rebel control and fighting on the same side. Being under one's control doesn't mean being on the same side, he says.

Given the way most Districts hate the Capitol, I can see his point.

"-So to summarise," Coin says. "Propos must continue to be filmed. Boggs tells me that your reckless friend from Twelve is already almost done filming his own, which shall be broadcasted later tonight."

I can't help but feel equally eager and in dread of what Hopper may have in store for his own propo. With his wild nature and freedom to speak out for the nation to see, no doubt it's going to be 'memorable' in some way.

"Nine and Ten are doing fine to drive out the Peacekeepers and fall under rebel control," Coin continues. "Without their bread, beer and meat the Capitol should start to feel the effects of war within their own city over the next few weeks. But that will not matter if we cannot maintain control. That's why the plan of action is for the flock of Mockingjys to all visit most of the Districts one by one. Being there amongst the action, it should go a long way towards inspiring people to keep fighting."

"If it ends the war faster, I'll do it," I say, nodding. "Where are we going first? And, why most Districts?"

"We feel you'd all have the best effect if you were to be seen in the Districts you each came from before you entered rebel service," Coin says, patient. "Four has done all it can for our cause and must now wait to be rebuilt. But that leaves Twelve, Eleven, Eight, Five and Two with at least one Mockingjay to represent them. Surely Rue would be willing to do whatever she could if it meant Eleven being safe and sound from the Capitol?"

"Anything. I'd do anything," Rue agrees, nodding rapidly. So fast that she looks dizzy for a moment. "For the Districts, for my family... I'd really do anything."

"That's what I hoped you'd say," Coin replies, smiling very faintly. "Plans are being drawn up for Eleven, but before we can move there it might be best to weaken the Capitol's influence in less hostile areas while the propos keep people within Eleven fighting hard. Therefore, our next focus will be District Twelve. It's small, but has potential as a rebel base and there won't be any Capitol sympathisers in there that we'd need to worry about.."

The meeting continues like this for while. Coin doing all of the talking and the rest of us only occasionally being able to ask something. I just settle back, letting it happen. She'll be done faster if I do not interrupt.

As Coin talks, pretty much going over the main points a few times in different ways, I ponder what it might be like going to the different Districts. I've done it one time already on the Victory Tour, but that was just being on the stage and seeing a select few important locals. Not like I ever got to explore the Districts as much as I may have wanted to.

But now, the chance is there. To go beyond the Victory Tour stage and see much more of every District. Though, I guess that means seeing plenty of damage and fighting. Four had it bad, but what's going on everywhere else? What are my fellow Mockingjays going to think of all this, seeing their homes in devastation and having to fight for them?

I can only hope they'll hold it together, somehow. We just have to hold onto ourselves if we're gonna win and take Snow down.

"So, you're sending all of the kids to battlefields?" Finnick asks, looking a bit skeptical. "I trust some of them, but... you sure this is a good idea? I mean, no offence intended to you two, but both of you are still young and not even five feet tall yet. Is this safe? What if we lose one of two of them? Or... all of them?"

Finnick looks uneasy and soon I am too, just like Rue is. Death is always a risk and while usually I've got something else to distract me from dwelling too much, it's really hitting me now. We could die a painful death at any time at all.

I try not to think about what it'd be like to see the corpses of my friends laying dead in the dirt...

"Urchin said it himself. It's war and we all have to take risks," Coin replies, mild. "Everybody shall be briefed on the mission in due course and given all the appropriate gear and training that shall be needed."

Coin moves the topic on before Finnick can say much of anything in response. But, I'm still lost in thought for a lot of it. At least, I am up to when she asks me about the negotiating I'd mentioned earlier.

"Yeah, we have an issue," I tell her, sitting up straight. "Some of your guards hit my mom because she came to check on me. That better not happen again or... or... well, I'll do something about it!"

"Schedule is to be obeyed in Thirteen," Coin says. "She knowingly went out of the line she was set upon"

"She was making sure I was safe," I say, starting to feel hot under the collar. "That does not justify those rotten guards hitting her. Tell them to leave her alone."

I pause, hesitating for a moment.

"If my mom comes to any harm, the deal is _off_ ," I say, coolly as I can. "How could I trust you to lead if... if I can't trust you to not hit my mom?"

"You have a lot of nerve, don't you?" Coin notes, her pale face starting to darken an ugly shade of red.

"He's not asking for much of anything," Plutarch says, quickly. "Tell your soldiers to knock it off. I don't see this being any issue; it shouldn't be happening in the first place."

"Fine," Coin says, dull. Her face starts to return to normal, but I get the feeling she's still annoyed at me... I can't help but look away for a moment. "Any other demands?"

"I don't want anybody in Thirteen given that kind of rough treatment. Not mom, not my friends, nobody," I say, crossing my arms.

"Yeah, I agree," Rue adds. "We're on the same side. Us against the Capitol; you said that in the propo. If people are being hurt, then we're not on the same side are we? It's not right!"

"I cannot simply change the rules that have been in place for generations," Coin says. I flinch, seeing that she looks pissed. "The rules protect our way of life. Like them or not, life in Thirteen is very fragile in its balance and the rules we have ensure our future."

I feel a sense of unease coming over me. The wording Coin used, it makes me think of that stupid reaping video the Capitol uses to 'justify' the Hunger Games. It really sounds eerily similar to what Snow himself would say if he were questioned – well, assuming he didn't have the person killed first.

I sure hope I am just overthinking this.

"I think it could unify us," Plutarch adds. "Really put the people on the same page, whatever their rank, and serve to unite us against the real enemy."

"I agree," Finnick says. "Of course, I'd think the main thing should be innocent people not being beaten up for no reason, but I guess I'm funny like that."

Before long, we're sent away as the meeting ends. Coin agreed to be less harsh on people, but I still feel anxious. Did I overstep? Will she start demanding more of me? I said I'd do anything but... will she think this was meant literally? Did I mean it literally?

I just don't know.

Rue heads off for dinner, saying she'll save me a seat. I'd intended to go with her right away, but Plutarch still looked on edge. Curiosity overtook me and I'd asked him what was bugging him. I'd half expected he'd see me as just a kid and make some excuse to leave, but instead he took me to an empty room.

The look on his face tells me I'm about to hear something bad. I brace myself, wondering just what he could possibly have to say that might ruin my day even more.

"That video we saw of your sister," he begins, grave. "She's in danger, Urchin. Big danger."

I pause... is that it? Did he really think I couldn't work that one out for myself?! I've been freaking out over it for ages; I even got sent to the medical area from a panic attack and he somehow did not think I knew that? Give me some credit!

"You don't say," I tell him, dryly. "I had no idea at all, Plutarch. None."

"Don't misunderstand me," he says, a little miffed. "I know it's obvious she's in danger, but there's one specific you are unaware of. The women she was with."

"Amazingly, I am aware of who Lucia is and the nasty stuff she does to kids. She's a Gamemaker," I mutter, flinching at the memories. "The Head Gamemaker of the Quell I escaped, remember?"

"True. Lucia poses a substantial threat," Plutarch agrees, his grim look getting worse. "But that's not who I meant. Lucia's surely on thin ice as it is. One wrong move and she dies; she'll not be acting out too much right now. No, it's Iris that is the one posing the most terrible risk here."

I pause, thinking back to the video. Iris, Iris...

...The woman with that sniper eye...

"She was the other women?" I say, quietly. "The one with the clipboard and that... that..."

"Eye," Plutarch finishes my sentence. "Yes. She's the top Capitol scientist. You thought Lucia and her mutts were terrible? You have seen nothing. Iris puts them all to shame. Her monsters and all the toxins she's known for making always unleash nothing but agony and devastation. I think you saw that for yourself in Four."

I'm silent, thinking this all over. I knew she was bad news just looking at her – is that judgemental of me? - but I feel my stomach drop within me. The poisonous, toxic sea. The nasty tidal wave. She was the one who left my home looking like that!

And... Ula is right there with her.

Plutarch catches me before I fall to the ground, starting to gasp and choke.

"Breath," he tells me. "You need to stay calm."

"Pretty hard to be calm right now!" I choke out.

"Perhaps," Plutarch agrees. "...Iris scares me as well, you know? She has what people call the 'Iris touch'. A touch that generally results in terrible poisons, monsters and all sorts of agony. You were lucky she wasn't a Gamemaker in either of your Hunger Games. Think the forest and tundra were bad? No, it could've been _much_ worse."

Plutarch pauses, trying to think of what to say next. I don't want to hear anymore about Iris, but somehow I still keep listening anyway. This woman has my sister in her clutches, I need to know what she is capable of.

"Sometimes prisoners of the Capitol are sent to her. They often become mutts," he says, slowly and sickened.

I almost feel like my heart has stopped for a moment. No, no, no, no, no!

ULA!

"...Ula... mutt... she, I, they..." I stammer, unable to get the words out. Images flash in my head of Ula being turned into some sort of an abomination.

"She's alive right now, her and Prim. We know that much and it's unlikely they will be killed, or worse, right now. Generally, live hostages serve the Capitol better than dead ones," Plutarch says. He takes a breath, calming down. "I'm going to call up some of my contacts right now. See if anything can be done to get them out of there, or at least cause some issues within the Capitol to slow down any plans Snow might have."

Plutarch takes off quickly, glancing back for a moment as he reaches the door.

"I completely agree with what you said to Coin," he tells me, looking pleased. "But the more we bicker then longer the war will take to win, and Ula may not have that sort of time. The faster we can get all the Districts on our side, the faster we can save her. I'll do my part and you do yours."

"I will," I manage to say. "Plutarch... have you seen Coral anywhere? She's gone missing."

He pauses, frowning as he thinks this over.

"I'm afraid not. I'll keep an eye out for her if I get the time," he says.

Plutarch leaves to pass on the word to his contacts. As for me, I stumble my way to the edge of the room, sinking down in the corner with wide, scared eyes.

It's not long before I'm crying, terrified for my sister. Terrified for Prim. They're in the clutches of that sniper eyed woman; if she's as bad as Plutarch says, what can I possibly do?

...Save them. That's what I can do.

* * *

 **(Time passes...)**

* * *

It's lucky that I had nothing to do on my schedule in the past hour. It gave time to, at least for now, cry out all the tears of fear and pain. I made my way over to the canteen hoping there was still some food left for me to eat. The kitchen staff seemed like they were going to enter a rehearsed denial, but when they saw it was me they were quick to put together a portion of fried vegetables and steak.

So now, I sit alone in a storage room eating my food. I didn't want company until I felt like I could be around others and not meltdown any second.

The food's alright, but I hardly taste it with how lost in thought I am. Plutarch is right, the faster this war is won the sooner Ula can be saved. The way to speed up the war is to unite all twelve, or thirteen I guess, Districts as quickly as I can. The way Coin and Plutarch put it, I guess Nine and Ten are already prying from the Capitol's rule?

I guess the Capitol has bigger priorities than two Districts that almost never do well in the Games, especially in my lifetime. Ten had a Victor a few years ago, but most agree Skinner got pretty lucky more than anything else. If Nine and Ten free themselves, though, that means the Capitol gets less food. They'd only have Eleven to take food from.

The Capitol is pretty spoiled... I wonder how long they'd last when the hunger pains those in the Districts know all too well start to kick in.

Thinking it over, I figure that it's fortunate we're starting off with Twelve. Twelve's pretty small and apparently the Peacekeepers there aren't very tough. Shouldn't be hard to get them all on our side. I've got no doubts that Hopper is more than ready to defend his home. He's practically made for the life of a rebel soldier.

But, what about the other Districts? Even if we were to only visit the places the other Mockingjays come from it still won't be easy. Eleven has lots of harsh Peacekeepers and security. It's a huge place and who is to say poor Rue's family won't be caught in the crossfire?

Eight is somewhere I'm not really familiar with. I make a note to myself to ask Timm about his home; anything I can learn could surely make all the difference once we're there. I recall it being very industrial though, so chances are there'd be a lot of battles in tight spaces. Maybe it'd be easy to hide from the Peacekeepers and catch them off guard? I wonder what Timm's lifestyle in his home is like; what sort of a family does he have?

It's occurring to me that, despite how I consider Timm to me my friend... I hardly know anything about him.

Five's got all kinds of power generators. They supply the Capitol with a lot of power; if that District could be gotten onto our side we could put the Capitol into a blackout! Maybe Electra has some thoughts on how we could do that? She's not dumb like some say, she just needs a bit of patience and understanding. Once again I realise I don't know what her lifestyle is like either. I've really been distracted, somehow not thinking to ask these basic questions.

I frown as my thoughts drift to Two. Valkri is on my side, but is her District going to rebel too? I've not got a great reputation among Careers in general, and Two has a great standard of living under Capitol rule. Why would they help us? Not to mention I killed Cato and sort of played a role in Clove's death.

I gulp, dreading the day I have to visit Two. They'll eat me alive! ...I sure hope being Valkri's friend protects all of us from the worst of their anger. Then again, there seemed to be more going on in Two than there was in One.

Maybe One is the real problem here?

I soon leave the storage room, knowing I won't be getting anything done just by sitting around and overthinking everything. Maybe there's something else I can do before the mission starts?

So, I set off on my way back towards the cafeteria. People are usually there this time of day, and so maybe somebody will have need of me in some way?

The halls are empty, though. Not a sound to be heard nor a person to be seen; certainly strange, because normally heavily armed guards are on patrol through the many corridors of the District. What could be keeping everybody busy?

"Hello?" I call out. "Anybody here? ...Coral?"

No response. I start feeling anxious before long, wondering what's going on. Not to mention, where's Coral? I haven't seen her at all; surely she hasn't ran off from the District... has she? No, no, that's crazy talk.

But where is she?

I pass by a door leading to the lowest depths of Thirteen. I stare at it and for a moment it almost feels like the door stares back. Again, crazy talk.

I'm stopped from reaching out for it when I hear shouts and yells from the cafeteria up ahead. Cries of alarm, pleading, wailing and fury.

The basement can wait. I'm already charging off towards the action, bracing myself for whatever awaits me. What's going on? A riot? An execution of somebody who broke schedule? Is Snow in Thirteen, ready to kill us all?!

I'm like a blur as I run through the long corridor, screeching to a halt and lunging into the cafeteria.

No violence, no horrible soldiers, no Snow. Nothing but a lot of people looking horrified as they sit on chairs and stand, staring at a screen.

But on the screen, it's a very different story. One that gets my blood running cold.

Two Peacekeepers stand dutifully beside Snow on one side of the screen as he speaks out to the camera. On the other side of the screen are several children, surely just my own age. They're all terrified, crying and wailing. Each is marked with a number on their... tribute outfits.

...The numbers match the Districts of the Quell survivors. Two, Four, Five, Eight, Eleven and a pair from Twelve.

He's kidnapped District children!

" _As a second reminder to the rebels that their children dying because of their own choice to initiate violence, and also a reminder that there can only be a single Victor of the Hunger Games, it has been decided that these replacement tributes shall be making up for the fact Urchin did not allow for the Games to reach their natural conclusion_ ," Snow says, calmly.

...No...

NO!

Snow observes the terrified children for a moment, lazily glancing between them.

" _Valkri Rune had the highest odds. She would have, theoretically, been the true Victor_ ," Snow says after a few moments.

Snow gives a signal and... SHIT! I lose my dinner, puking over the floor. I can hardly hear my retches and screams over the horrified, furious shouting going on in the room. On screen, the Peacekeepers opened fire. No longer are there seven children against a wall on the screen. Just six piles of bullet ridden flesh, blood splattered against the wall and floor... and a terrified, wailing girl from District Two.

Snow turns to the camera, unaffected. It's like looking at a demon. Like I am staring up at the gatekeeper of hell.

" _This is still not as bad as a true war_ ," Snow says, firm. " _I strongly advise a full rebel surrender, lest the bloodshed be forced to continue on a grander scale that nobody wants. Not you, not myself, not a single person. Think over it carefully_."

The Peacekeepers lead the small girl from Two away, the poor kid screaming all the way. I can hardly call myself any better off than her right now. I think I'm gonna have a heart attack...

" _Panem today, Panem tomorrow, Panem forever_ ," Snow says, lightly smiling. " _Long live the Capitol. Have a pleasant evening_."

Pleasant isn't the word I'd use. Everybody is shouting screaming, snarling and more besides that. It's chaos, exactly the thing that Snow wants. Everybody just runs around in a panic, or stands in place shouting out curses and threats. We're falling apart.

I wince as a shrill whistle cuts through the air, making my eardrums throb. Hopper's leapt up onto a table. Gone is his usual mischievous grin and the life in his eyes. No, now all that is in them is pure fire. Or, perhaps, a sort of scalding ice. His face is red, his body trembling.

"How about instead of screaming like that bearded bastard wants, we do something?" he suggests, snarling. "Like going out there and stopping more people from my home getting hurt... stopping them ending up like that! Air my propo, now! Sooner we do, sooner we can get that bastard's head on a pike!"

The crowd roars their agreement, moving out quickly to do what Hopper suggested. As for me though, I stagger out into the hallway hardly able to believe what I've just seen.

I soon slump against the wall, breathless. Those kids, those innocents... that was no 'game', it was a heartless execution. How could he?!

Because he's a monster, that's how.

What's to stop him from deciding to do this a second time, except with Prim and Ula?! Fuck, there's nothing at all. Not to mention he could just snatch even more children to butcher for his sick propoganda...

I'm so lost in my own torment that I don't notice Rue has come to sit by me until she starts sobbing into my shoulder. We sit here for a while, just sobbing like this over the senseless, horrific deaths we just witnessed.

"What do we do?" I ask her, shuddering. "How... how many more children from Four and everywhere else does Snow have locked away? ...What now...?"

"...I guess we fight back in whatever ways we can think of," Rue says, shaking in some mixture of rage and misery. "The adults can have whatever meetings they want, but I think it's time that the flock had a meeting of their own."

I wipe away my tears, nodding my agreement. The pain remains within me, as does the shaken feeling upon my soul, but I can feel a fire in me much like what Rue has in herself. Snow wants to break us after that video. He wants us to cry and be unable to fight back anymore.

I'm not in the habit of giving demons what they desire.

"We'll meet in my room," I say, slowly getting up to my feet. "Let's get the gang gathered up. I wonder how they're feeling... broken as us?"

"Probably. You saw how Hopper reacted," Rue mumbles. "Valkri looked like she was going to pass out. I think she knew that girl, Urchin."

"...All the more reason to win this war and save her friend then." I say as we approach the cafeteria once more. "...The war's truly begun. I mean, it already had but... shit. That was like nothing we've seen yet. I just... I don't..."

Rue takes my hand, giving it a light squeeze. We exchange a sad look.

"Me too," she says, sniffling. "I get it."

My brains tells me there was nothing I could have done to save those children. But my heart scolds me horribly, making me wonder if perhaps I overlooked something and might have been able to keep them alive for longer. Perhaps alive to grow old like all kids should be able to.

I need to get a grip on myself, _now_. The war's only going to get worse and I'll need to keep myself focused and strong if I'm ever going to win. I don't feel ready to led the rebellion to victory, but then again... what twelve year old could be? How can any kid, or even adult, be a brave and selfless war hero who can bring peace to Panem?

I guess in the end you can only try.

I'll certainly be trying hard once we're in District Twelve. I wonder, what sorts of battles and brutal stuff awaits in Hopper's home?

...Those poor children...

* * *

 **END OF ACT 1**

* * *

The rebellion is starting to hear up now, and yet we're only just getting started! Some Districts are fighting the good fight, others not so much, but how much can the tide be changed as the flock make their own trip throughout the Districts? Or, will Snow's own influence continue to add more and more horrific calamities onto the already grim situation? The battles have really begun and will only get more and more bloody. Let's find out how it all goes in Act 2!


	4. Act 2-1: The Mockingjays Take Flight

**Disclaimer:** I do not own The Hunger Games. They belong to Suzanne Collins.

 **Note:** Here we are, Act 2! This took longer than I'd wanted, mainly due to IRL stuff and also being hard at work with personal projects and the ongoing story I have in the Total Drama Fandom. The set-up is done and now the action is ready to really get started off. Hope you're all ready for war... because Urchin sure isn't. I guess it sucks being the hero sometimes... read on to find out just how much it might suck. Haha!

* * *

 **ACT 2: THE LIBERATION**

 **Part 1: The Flock Take Flight**

* * *

I feel a deep shadow over me as I sit at the table with the other Mockingjays. Not a literal one... more of an emotional one, if that makes sense? The images of those children being shot on TV fills my mind, their cries and screams ringing in my ears. I can't help fearing what may become of the girl from Two who was spared; is she really just going to be sent home like nothing happened? Of course not, there's got to be a catch. Maybe she'll be a prisoner alongside Prim and Ula...

It's been about two hours until that terrible broadcast. Nobody has really recovered from it; indeed, most people in Thirteen are in awful moods. Shouts, swearing and screams fill the halls of the underground District. Electra's been quietly sobbing for a while now, unable to handle all of the noise. I'm close to sobbing as well, to be honest.

While the adults try to handle the situation and come up with a plan, we're trying to come up with a plan of our own. That is to say, myself and the other Mockingjays. Around the table in a stuffy storage room we're all various shades of bitter and depressed, seemingly waiting for somebody besides ourselves to speak first.

Eventually, I decide that I might as well be that person.

"Ok guys, we all saw what happened. We're all reeling from it," I gulp, taking a deep breath. "That's the monster we're going up against in this rebellion. It's ok to be scared. If anybody is freaking out, don't hide it. Let it all out."

No sooner have I said this Electra starts sobbing louder. Though, she's drowned out by Valkri's pained screeching. I cover my ears, trying to count to ten a few times to keep myself calm. Of course, how can I be calm after the things I saw on the TV? How? It's just not possible.

"Valkri, what's wrong?" Rue asks, laying a hand upon Valkri's own. "I mean, uh, besides the obvious."

Valkri trembles, a sickly blend of angry and scared. She gazes around, locking eyes with each of us in turn. It's a while before she finds the strength to speak.

"I know that girl," she says, quietly. "The one Snow spared because he thinks I would have won? Her name is Minnie Clayton. She's the most talented actress at the local theatre back home."

"You attend the theatre?" Timm asks hesitantly. He looks quite interested. "Never took you for the acting type."

"I just go to watch," Valkri says. She lowers her gaze down at the table. "Cassius took me along to the shows, because he was in them and... Minnie was his girlfriend before Cassius..."

Valkri sobs, her hands over her face. The tension at the table only seems to worsen now that she's said that. It was clear that she and Cassius were close back in the Quell. I'd even assumed there may have been more to them than friends. Valkri was never the same after Farro smashed Cassius' skull with a club during the snow storm. I dread to think how the girl on TV, Minnie, must have reacted to the sight...

"Minnie's always be sensitive and jumpy. She's not gonna survive the Capitol!" Valkir yells, smashing a fist down on the table. "First mummy, now Minnie... what are we going to do to help them? There are so many people in danger."

"We'll do the best we can for them. Snow isn't going to be getting away with this one, guys. Right now, this is war," Hopper says, a serious look in his eyes as he sits back with his feet up on the table.

"How do you propose we rescue Minnie, then?" Valkri asks. "Or any of the hostages?"

"I... don't know. I wish I did, I really do," Hopper says, letting out a deep groan. "My idea is to fuck with the Capitol until they give it up."

"Naughty word..." Electra mumbles, hands over her eyes.

"Well, we'll be moving out to get the Districts on our side soon," I say, wearily running my hands through my curls. "I guess once the rebels get more power it means more of a chance to save them? Plutarch said he'll do his best to help them, if that means much?"

"It won't mean anything until the hostages are safe," Valkri mutters. "Oh Minnie, first Cassius and now this?!"

I agree with Valkri, knowing that it's one thing to say something and another for it to actually get done. It's hard to stop myself getting depressed when I thin k of the idea of Plutarch being unable to save those in danger, so I usually try not to think about it. Too bad that's becoming much harder now. But this is war! I need to get just as hard as the situation I've gotten myself into.

It takes a while but we manage to calm Valkri down, or perhaps it's more that she's just too exhausted to say much more. She's made her stance clear though, she's afraid for her friend and expects something to be done sooner than later. Much sooner.

"We've all got something to fight for. Something to lose as well... a lot of somethings," I say after a while. "So, as we're all of the same side and all share the role of Mockingjay, perhaps we can talk about our homes? Maybe about what we're fighting for? I just feel... maybe the more we know about each other, the better we can work together. We're gonna be going across the Districts, right? Might as well know how we can help each other in our home Districts."

"Well you know what I'm fighting for," Valkri crosses her arms, her gaze hard. "I'd do anything to save my mummy, Minnie and all of Two... whether from the Capitol or from reels who don't trust them."

"We're on the same side here," Timm tells her. "They'd be nice, right?"

"I doubt it," Valkri says. "Two is the 'evil District' full of Careers who 'torture the innocent', right? I know what your Districts think."

"I mean, some Careers do have a habit of... doing that," Timm pauses, wondering what to say. "But you didn't, right?"

"I'm not a monster," she says, shaking her head. She doesn't look any happier. "Any kill I made, I made them as quick and clean as I could. Weavee didn't suffer."

"All of the dead tributes did. All of us still alive sure are," Rue says, her head in her hands. "I've got my mom and my five little siblings back in Eleven. Anything could happen any second... I don't know what I'd do if they..."

Rue gags, looking sick. I make a move to put an arm around her but she takes a deep breath and forces a smile. Her eye twitching looks so unnatural.

"I have family too," Timm says after a few moments. "My parents, my sisters... I bet they're very worried about me. Do they even know I'm here? Oh, I bet they don't. Maybe Coin will let me call them? What if they're hostages too? What if..."

Timm trails off, paling and starting to shiver madly. His breathing comes out thick and fast. Electra hugs him, still tears eyed herself.

"Thanks," he hugs Electra, still depressed. "My family has been under surveillance before. Part of me wonders if I got rigged in. It's, well, we're known to write poetry... rebellious poetry. They might be dead already!"

As if I wasn't sad enough already, I start to feel sick on the inside as Timm continues to shiver and moan. For a moment my vision goes white, flickering with visions of Iris. I blink rapidly and bop my head, forcing the terrible images away. By the time I've done so Electra is quietly talking about her parents and her ig brother.

"Miss them," she sniffles. "Need mommy and daddy... want my brother Node."

"What's your bother like?" Timm asks her.

"I bet he's a good brother, right?" I add.

"He is. Keeps me safe, makes me happy. Peacekeeper," she says, looking down at her shoes. "Miss him!"

"Your brother is a Peacekeeper?" I can't help but quirk an eyebrow. I didn't know Peacekeepers came from Five. I thought they came from... actually, where do they come from? Most of the Capitol citizens seem to be too oblivious to know how to fight or live a non-luxurious life.

"Most Peacekeepers come from Two," Valkri says, as if knowing what I was thinking. "We give them soldiers, they give us a good life. The grown-ups say it's a fair trade. They do get trained in other Districts though, like Electra's brother must be."

It's at this moment that Hopper takes his feet off his the table and gazes around at us. He looks... not himself, but not exactly upset either. It's hard to say for sure what he is thinking right now.

"They don't train Peacekeepers in Twelve. Just people who know how to starve and not complain about it too loudly," Hopper says, his grey eyes half lidded. "That and petty crooks. You all know I don't have any family. I don't really have any friends back home either; the closest person I have to that is in the Capitol now. So, what do I have to fight for here?"

I ponder briefly is this is rhetorical or if Hopper really wants us to give him a reason. What better reason is there to fight the Capitol then to help the innocent? Before I, or the others, can say anything though he's already continued.

"I guess I have a future to fight for. One that I might enjoy living through," he says, leaning back with his arms behind his head. "I mean, I actually _have_ a future now, don't I? Might as well do something to make it totally kickass."

"Well said," Rue agrees, smiling faintly. "We all have reasons to fight, no matter where we're from or what happened in the Quell. Whatever Snow does, we need to stick together and keep fighting."

We're all quick to agree to this. All of us want the Capitol to fall, one way or the other. Though, as soon as Valkri suggests that we go to District Two first the peace is over. She wants to make sure her mother is safe and get people to go and save Minnie... fair, but Rue disagrees with her.

"No, we need to go to Eleven first," she insists. "My family need us! Plus, if the Capitol lose Eleven then they lose a lot of food. We need to get there, soon. Now. It makes sense."

"You're saying that because you're from Eleven," Valkri says, wiping away a tear of worry.

"Same for you about two," Rue says. "But Two is full of Peacekeepers. We'd be killed if we went now. Eleven may have less there with all the riots going on across Panem... um, uh... oh, and it's full of rebels too. We'd have a good chance to move in and take over. It works for all of us."

"But you mainly just want your family safe, just like all of us want ours safe," Valkri notes.

"What about my District? Eight has quite a lot of talented doctors and nurses. We don't just do clothes..." Timm mumbles, lacking much conviction. "Plus, we have rebels there too."

"Need mommy..." Electra sniffles. "Five! Five please!"

I groan silently as I observe all this. Where are we gonna go first? All of us, besides myself, want our home to be the first place we free from the Capitol. All of us, especially Rue, feel our reasons matter the most of everybody. My vote goes to whichever place will lead to the quickest victory possible, because Prim, Ula and now Minnie aren't going to have a lot of time before Snow may decide to kill them!

I glance at Hopper, who has not yet spoken his own opinion on this. He just shrugs, putting his feet back on the table.

"I'll go where the action is," he says, closing his eyes. "Maybe draw straws for it?"

We may be on the same side and part of the same flock, but already we're falling into disagreements. Part of me wonders if I really should have seen this coming before I suggested to Coin that we share the role of Mockingjay between us. I sigh, hating the time wasting going on. Ula needs us!

"You agree, right Urchin?" Rue asks me, her hand laid upon mine. "We need to get going to Eleven first and foremost, yeah?"

"But Two is in great need of help!" Valkri insists. "If we get Two, we get a whole new army. Surely you see that, right Urchin?"

"Eight has quite a set of skills we'd find useful," Timm mutters, sounding like he's giving up already. "If you want a good rebel propo, Eight's where you need to go."

"I want my mommy..." Electra mumbles, looking at me with teary eyes.

I have no idea how to respond as my fellow Mockingjays all look at me, besides Hopper. He just relaxes, likely to be fine with any choice I make. Of course, he's not offering much to the matter... if he added his vote to one of the Districts then it'd make my own life easier!

I'm mercifully spared from having to make a choice right now when the intercom turns on. Coin's voice drones through it, hard as steel, telling all residents of Thirteen to make their way to the cafeteria for a mandatory presentation. It's a tough job to hold back my sigh of relief.

"Well, looks like the big boss needs us," I say, awkwardly rising and quickly running for the door. "Let's go, time's being wasted!"

I grimace, too cowardly to look back at my friends and girlfriend. I wonder if they realise just how thankful I am to not have to make a choice. Do they know how scared I am inside, even of making one of them angry? It's true, after all.

Lose one Mockingjay and I may end up losing Ula before I set a single step in the Capitol. I almost stumble as I run down the corridor, twisted thoughts of Ula being tormented by the sniper eyed women known as Iris flooding into my mind. Get out, get out!

They don't get out, not even slightly.

* * *

 **(Not much later...)**

* * *

All the residents of Thirteen are gathered in the cafeteria, silent as Coin stands before us. It seems, for now, the argument amongst us Mockingjays has been forgotten. I can't help but be glad for the interruption as honestly I have no idea which District I would have chosen for us to go to first and who I would have angered in the process. I wish war were simpler than all this.

"What do you think she's going to say, Urchin?" Rue asks me. "Maybe we're all gonna be going to Eleven."

"Maybe. I'm honestly not sure," I reply. I glance around the area, realising that something is amiss. "...Do you see Coral anywhere? I can't see her."

Rue glances around, looking confused. She soon looks back at me, shaking her head.

"Nope. Maybe she's gotten lost somewhere? Or, maybe she's..." Rue frowns. "Urchin, maybe she ran off? Like, outside?"

"She can't of done that. Where would she even go?" I grimace, shuddering to image Coral lost in the wilderness, freezing and starving. "Not to mention security has been even tighter since she snuck on the mission. If Hopper cannot break out despite being a 'petty crook' then how could she?"

"I... honestly don't know..." Rue trails off, concerned. "I guess we'll just have to hope she's alright. Maybe her parents grounded her?"

"Maybe," I say, already doubting that this is the case. "I'll ask Coin about this. Maybe she could check the security cameras. One of them might have spotted her?"

"Smart thinking," Rue says.

It's not long after that when Coin steps up and raises a hand to quieten the crowd down. As she raises her arms up the screen behind her changes from blankness to showing a map of Panem. I can't help but note that instead of a number over where Four used to be... there's just a skull. It's truly a dead District now and maybe forever more.

"Residents of Thirteen, I greet you with good news," Coin says, almost smiling. I say almost as it looks sort of like a grimace... an 'unsmile' maybe? "The propo recorded in what used to be Four continues to inspire people. Already the number of active displays of rebellions has more than doubled. The Capitol continues to expend their resources across Panem, but the fighting is not being shut down. With their forces spread thin, this is the prime chance for us to start claiming each District for Rebel control."

She pauses for a moment, taking a sip of water from a glass. Behind her the District Twelve area of the map flashes gold.

"Twelve is geographically the closest District to us. It would be the easiest to reach and start our operations in," Coin continues, brisk and calm. "With Twelve under rebel control we consequently deprive the Capitol of coal and, more importantly, gain more soldiers and territory to work with. Forcing the Capitol out of Twelve should give those fighting in Nine and Ten the extra push they need to finish their own battles and drive off the Capitol forces in their own territory, soon to be our territory."

"What about Eleven?" Rue stands up, waving her hands around. "They need us too!"

"All Districts will be gotten to in time," Coin says, idly waving a hand. "At this particular moment in time, it's Twelve that is the most in our advantage to go for. As it happens, 'Private Vigo' is about to have his propo aired."

Hopper snickers from beside me, his glee briefly distracting me from the pain and worry in the eyes of Rue and Valkri. Timm holds Electra's hand, trying to calm the sniffling girl down.

"Crowds..." she mumbles.

"Well be done soon," Timm tells her. "You can help me with some poetry after this if you'd like?"

"Fun, fun," Electra says, softly smiling.

Coin clears her throat, all sounds dying away in an instant. She glares for the briefest of scary moments, gazing around with a firmness that I cannot look in the eye.

"As I was saying, in mere minutes Private Vigo's propo will air and do the job is was made for. Kickstarting further rebel actions across Panem," Coin snaps her fingers and the screen focus on Twelve, displaying a map of the area. "That will be the golden opportunity for several squads to move into Twelve and provide assistance there."

The following half hour is dedicated to Coin talking over the plan, not allowing a single word of whisper from anybody else. I keep my head down, taking it all in. Really, it feels like a sort of shopping list. Only, it's a list of things we need to destroy rather than buy. A large Peacekeeper barracks, a big generator, several security cameras and a tank that's on a constant patrol around the District. If we take all of that out and deal with most of the Peacekeepers then the District will fall to us, says Coin.

I must wonder though, how are we going to take out a tank? Swords and bullet sure won't be of any use here. Maybe it'll all become clear in time. I try to control my restless body, eager to get going the moment we are dismissed. The sooner we land, the sooner we can start and finish the mission. One District claimed... one closer to saving my sister.

"Just be aware, once the District begins to fall to us the Capitol are likely to make one final stand to take it all back," Coin is grave as she delivers her warning. "A 'District Showdown', if one were to be dramatic about it. Without exception, eliminate all Capitol targets that come in your way, whether they try to kill you or hinder you from finishing the mission. Any further information shall be given to you on your Squad's respective hovercraft."

Coin steps back and a moment later Boggs strides forwards, loading a rifle as he does so. I can't help but gulp, seeing that the safety catch is very much released. I wonder how many people will be dead by the time the mission is over. There's a big difference between killing mutts and killing real people. Not District, not Capitol... just people.

But I can't claim to be a hero above all this. I already know I'd take down all in my way if it means seeing Ula again. I breath deeply, bracing myself.

"You'll be arranged into your squads once you are at the hangar," Boggs says, pacing as he speaks. "As President Coin said, further details will be given on the hovercrafts. But, all of those coming will be performing a HALO jump to the ground level. The hovercrafts will stay flying to give ariel support when it is needed. Additionally, the rebels that are fighting now are based in the Seam side of the District. That is, loosely speaking, the safe zone. The merchant area is where the Capitol forces are at, with the Head Peacekeeper said to be based in the mayor's house. If he's taken out, the other Peacekeepers may surrender or at least lose some morale."

Boggs doesn't speak for long, just giving us some encouragement and reminding us how a HALO jump works. After what happened the first time I did one I doubt I could ever forget. Coral almost died... if it wasn't for me...

Then again, if not for me she'd have never had a mission to sneak away on to begin with. Maybe I'm being too hard on myself, but I can't help taking some of the blame in all of this.

Where are you Coral?

Before we can be dismissed the screen flickers and begins to show Hopper's propo. I lean forwards, wondering what I might see. Hopper never gave anything away about the propo he filmed. Indeed, I'd hardly even known that he'd been working on one to begin with. Knowing him, though, I've got no doubts that it'll be hard to forget what we're about to see.

Memories of Hopper punching the Escort at his reaping, throwing a shoe at Snow right after the parade and the scandal at his interview all come flooding back to me at once. Something tells me that, compared to this propo, that's all gonna be nothing. I hold my breath in anticipation as the video on screen comes to life.

The first thing I hear is a soft sort of piano melody. Hardly the kind of thing I would expect from something Hopper came up with. On screen Hopper sits on a sofa in a dimly lit room, dressed in a tuxedo. I don't have time to question Hopper's dress sense as he looks up towards the camera. From beside me as I watch, Hopper snickers and covers his mouth to muffle the sounds of his laughter. He has something planned...

" _Hey there friends, I'm Hopper. You might remember me from popular shows such as 'The Hunger Games' and 'Panem's top 10 worst Orphans'. Tonight, I've got something very special to talk with you about_ ," Hopper smiles warmly at the camera, his tone oddly sincere. " _I think you people in the Capitol will find it simply splendid. Tonight, I'm going to be talking about love_."

That... was just about the last thing I had expected. What could Hopper have to say about love? Why focus on love when he could be wrecking havoc with all kinds of insults and other mischief? I frown, confused by his choice, but remain watching. Maybe he has a surprise in store.

" _We all know what love is. The bond between two people, the warm and fuzzy feeling when somebody smiles at you... the love between a parent and their child before the Capitol kidnaps the child and has them killed for your selfless entertainment. You are all freaks_ ," Hopper smiles, keeping the same warm tone to his voice while slowly putting up the middle finger. Ah, there we go. " _The Capitol knows what love is. They love dead children, they love eating food while the Districts starve, they love kidnapping people and having them be prisoners... you sure love all the worst of things, or did you not realise you were doing this_?"

Hopper snickers a bit louder next to me, his eyes wide and eager. I can only assume there's something big coming really, really soon. Around the cafeteria everybody looks pleased with propo that Hopper has put together. I hear people whispering excitedly over the reactions of the people who see this in the Capitol. After all, that's where it's airing right now.

I just hope that Beetee will be able to stop them from shutting it off before it's over.

" _You claim to love romance, but you got Dory put into the arena where she died. You killed a girl I really liked. So... I feel it's only fair that I kill something you like_ ," Hopper's grin becomes almost malicious as he stands up, taking a microphone out from behind his back. " _I'm gonna kill Snow's privacy. I'm dedicating this song to our dear President and his forbidden love. I hope you all enjoy_."

The piano melody starts to get a little louder as Hopper starts singing. I cover my ears in an instant and even that is not fast enough to keep out the awful noise! I flinch as do many of those around me. Those who do not flinch start laughing and applauding. Hopper himself just winks and waves to the crowd.

 _The President gets to have all the fun_

 _When you rule Panem you've already won_

 _When you're in the social Elite, your life feels complete_

 _Yet when you get the itch and your heart feels a bit of a twitch_

 _You gotta throw off the locks and be like Snow when he screws an Avox!_

I gasp, choking on my own breath for a few moments. Is Hopper really going there? Accusing Snow of an affair with an Avox? Yes, yes he is. Hopper is now on the floor, almost crying with laugher as his propo continues to air across the nation. It's only then when I realise I'm laughing so hard as well.

 _It's looooooooove, true loooooooove_

 _Love between an Avox and Snowman_

 _It's looooooooove, true loooooooove_

 _Snow likes an Avox with a sexy tan_

 _It's looooooooove, true loooooooove_

 _Snow loves all the Avoxes just 'cuz he can_

I wipe away amused tears, fighting to catch my breath. Hopper is on the floor, Rue laughs skyward, Electra giggles, Timm is biting his sleeve to muffle his snickering and even Valkri is smirking a bit. That's to say nothing of the rest of Thirteen, an uproar of laughter coming from all over the place. Boggs is pounding a table, biting his fist. The only one not laughing is Coin, only rolling her eyes at it all. I guess somebody has to remain serious?

 _He loves them small and he loves them chunky_

 _Any loving from Snow is not quite funky_

 _If you see the Snowman and his face is red_

 _It's 'cuz you found him with an Avox in his bed!_

On and on it goes, Hopper's bad singing leading to more and more mockery of Snow. The crowd are soon clapping along to the beat, all loving it. Beetee stits off to the side on a laptop, constantly fighting off any attempts the Capitol is making to shut it off. They're forced to watch the entire thing, much like we've always been forced to watch the Hunger Games. It's so gratifying!

Hopper's song eventually ends and he retakes his seat. He gives the camera a tender smile as the piano melody turns gentle again.

" _I hope you enjoyed my song, people of the Capitol. Now you know that your dear leader is not only a scumbag who murders people, but he shags Avoxes as well_ ," Hopper says, polite as can be. " _Oh, and if the cute scientist with the sniper eye who has Urchin's sister is watching this... call me_! _Ta-ta_! "

The video ends soon after that, Hopper giving the camera a teasing wave. The whole of the cafeteria bursts out into a massive applause, everybody standing up and cheering over the video. Hopper laughs, leaping onto a table and taking a bow.

"Thank you, thank you," he says, laughing. "I'll be here all week!"

Coin taps her microphone, the noise effect echoing across the room. Everybody quietens soon after that as she looks over everybody, that same cold look in her eyes. That propo was amazing, but she doesn't seem like she has any reaction to it at all. Strange...

"That should have the Capitol riled up and doing their best to quell the effect it will certainly have upon their citizens," Coin says, giving a slow nod. "For now, it's time for the mission to District Twelve to begin. You will be given your schedules for the rest of the day upon leaving the room. If you have a normal one then go about your day as instructed. If you are on the mission, report to the hangar promptly. I will be there to see the Squads off"

Coin swiftly leaves as everybody files towards the doors. I find myself stuck in a queue for several minutes. I feel restless, too anxious to stand still. Hopping up and down on my heels I groan, wishing that everybody would hurry up. There's a war going on with people in danger and here we are, too busy queueing up to do anything!

"Hurry up, hurry up," I grumble, the line far too slow for my liking.

"We're almost there," Rue assures me, still giggling from Hopper's propo. "We can run all the way to the hangar, make up for lost time."

"Good," I say. I don't mean to be so dismissive, really. I'm just so focused on the mission. Once it's done we can start the next and so on until the Capitol is next on the list. I can hardly wait to get to Snow's mansion and wrap my hands around his scrawny little...

I pause, shaking my head. Those sorts of thoughts have been in my mind a lot more than usual lately. It's like an obsession; getting there, rescuing the hostages and finally facing off against Snow one on one. I may be young, but I fancy my odds in a duel against him if that's how things went. I don't see a man in his seventies really putting up a fight against me. Or, well, anybody.

Rue looks at me, concerned.

"You ok?" she asks me.

"Not really," I sigh, moving forwards to get my schedule. "Lets just help the people of Twelve as best as we can and as quick as we can."

"Right. After that, we can get going off to Eleven and really start making a big difference," Rue agrees. "We should be going there first if you ask me."

"All of the Districts matter," Valkri says. "We're all biased to our own, but don't act like Twelve being helped doesn't make a difference."

"Yeah, my District may be total crap but it has character!" Hopper adds.

"...That, and you're not the only one with people you care about in danger," Valkri states.

"I meant what I said. Eleven needs help and needs it now," Rue says, turning away.

It's not long after that when we all have our schedule given to us. Sure enough, all of us Mockingjays are going on the mission. Electra claps her hands, though Timm sure doesn't share her excitement. He casts a longing look in the direction of his room, but he soon runs along with us towards the hangar.

As I lead the charge down the corridors, I can't help but wonder if this mission is doomed for misfortune. If we're having disagreements when we're standing in a queue, then what's to stop us having some kind of argument when we're in the middle of a gunfight or worse?

Before that, I still have one thing to take care of. See if Coin knows anything about where Coral might be. Talking to her before we head out should be the perfect time to ask.

* * *

 **(Not that much later...)**

* * *

The hovercraft engines hum loudly, all ready for take-off. We're suited up in soldier attire – notably a thicker design than the last time. I guess they don't want to risk my shoulder being gnawed a second time – and now it's just a matter of boarding the hovercraft I've been assigned to and taking off into the air.

Or, it would be... but I have something else to take care of first. I let myself lag behind a bit as my own squad moves ahead onto the Hovercraft. I must look so odd right now, one moment wanting us to hurry up and then pausing for a moment to talk to Coin. I can' help but feel hypocritical over it myself. But, I just have to know.

I need to know where Coral is or if she's somehow gotten out. Were her parents really that hard on her for sneaking out? I know she was reckless, but is being given a thrashing really worth fleeing into the wilderness? From personal experience, I know it's a dreadful place to be.

"You're going to be late if you keep wasting time," Coin says, dry. She frowns as I approach her. "Your sister will have to wait longer if you hang around here."

"It'll just take a moment, and you said my squad's hovercraft is the last one out anyway," I reply, taking in a breath. "President Coin, uh... my friend, Coral, is missing. Do you have any idea what's going on with her? I can't find it, my friends can't, even her family can't. Did she get out?"

"The cameras would have seen her making an escape if she tried. That hooligan friend of yours proves this to be the case after his misguided break-outs in the early days," Coin says, slowly shaking her head. "As it happens, she's in solitary confinement right now. She needed some looking over after the mission and then her reckless disobedience needed punishment. Sure, she may say she was sorry after her parents got done with her, but I prefer to avoid a repeat incident."

"Wait, what?" I stammer aimlessly, trying to figure out what to say next. "How long is she going to be there?!"

"Until I can be sure she will not sneak out again and almost get herself killed," Coin says, staring my in the eyes. I gulp, backing up a step. "It may seem harsh, but if this prevents a causality then so be it. Ask Private Vigo about solitary. He'd tell you it's not that bad. If anything she's just bored as she has nothing to do and is permitted no visitors."

"...Can't I see her? I'm one of the Mockingjays," I say, stepping forwards again.

"No visitors," Coin says, firm. "Hovercraft, go now. Perhaps if your mission is a success and you all behave yourselves when in my territory I can see about letting her out sooner than later."

"I... I guess so," I sigh, knowing I'm not getting anywhere in this. Not like I have the time to change her mind. "Can the guards at least tell her family where she is?"

"Of course," she says, slowly nodding. "I'd assumed that they already had, to be honest. Go."

I turn and dash to the hovercraft, clambering on board. I look back once I slot into my seat, seeing Coin looking at me. She may be on my side, but that firm look of hers gives me all kinds of shivers.

"It may be harsh, but sometimes you have to be harsh to get the needed results," she says as she turns to leave, a guard flanking either side of her. "It's just like you'd be harsh if it meant saving Ula and Prim."

I can't deny the fact she's right. Harsh as solitary is... maybe it's not the worst thing that could happen if it means that Coral is going to be kept out of trouble for a bit and will be able to recover any scrapes she suffered. But, not getting any visitors – not even her family – is a bit harsh... but I guess that's Thirteen for you. It's harsh sometimes.

As the hovercraft takes off into the air Finnick sits down besides me. He gives me a determined grin, placing a helmet onto my head. I groan as it goes right over my eyes, leaving me in the dark.

"I think this one's too big," I say, groaning.

"Just playing," he says, taking it off and placing down one that's more my size. "You ready for action Urchin? It's people, not mutts... you can handle that, can't you?"

What can I do but agree? I've killed people before... what's a few more on top of that, especially when they are probably ordered to kill me on sight?

"I can," I say, looking down at my feet. "I can... I can kill. I just have to not enjoy it, that's all."

"Good man," Finnick says. "If we're lucky then we won't have to kill anybody."

We're as silent as everybody else in the Hovercraft for a few minutes. I know what I want to say, but I know I'm going to hate the answer. ...Screw it. It's time to stop being a kid and start being a soldier.

"We're not going to get lucky, are we?" I ask, sighing.

"Not a chance, sorry," Finnick says, shaking his head.

* * *

 **(Later...)**

* * *

The flight has been uneventful so far. Already, much better than I was expecting things to be. I'll take a boring flight over one where we're under attack from all sides. Finnick moved away a while ago, so now Hopper and Timm have come over to sit with me.

"So, she's been in solitary all this time?" Timm asks, frowning. "That sounds... something?"

"Yeah, something terrible!" Hopper adds. He huffs, crossing his arms. "I've been there, it's a horrible place. I mean, you do know the kinds of things they do to you in solitary confinement?!

Timm and I are ready to make a guess at it, but Hopper is quick to continue. He looks almost afraid at the thought of solitary. Or, maybe he's just having a laugh. Wouldn't surprise me at all.

"First they make you sit down in a chair and wait for them to talk to you," Hopper says, shuddering.

"Is that the terrible part?" Timm asks, sceptical.

"No, it gets even worse," Hopper replies, waving his arms around very dramatically. "They make you read a _really_ old magazine while you wait for them to talk to you. But they make you wait for ages because they keep talking on the phone about work!"

I glance at Timm and he just shrugs awkwardly. What's Hopper going on about? I... don't follow.

"But the worst part is when you actually get sent into solitary," he continues, practically despairing. "...It's so damn boring!"

"Uh, I'd pick boredom over being in a warzone," Timm says. "But, I guess I'm just funny like that?"

"We're getting distracted guys," I say, standing up. "Eyes on the prize. We need to get Twelve under our control. If we do... well, all of us are going to benefit."

"Unless we die in the process," Timm shudders, afraid. "Why are Electra and I being bought along?It's not like we're any good at fighting. Neither of us killed anybody in the Quell and we'd have lost any fight we ended up in. I'm not Mockingjay! I'm... I'm just a kid. A kid who got spared..."

He covers his face with his hands, curling up in his seat. He mumbles on and on about how he's not ready, that's just a kid, that he's not ready to die. Part of me wants to scold him... no, what the hell am I saying? We're all just kids Mockingjays or not. Is it any real wonder he doesn't feel up to battling like Hopper and I? Indeed not.

But he's stuck coming with us now, so what can he do?

"Timm, maybe you could stay in the safe areas?" I say, awkwardly.

"Yeah, you could inspire people just by standing around and trying to be handsome or something," Hopper adds. "I could do that, but, you know... gotta go save my District. Busy, busy."

Timm wipes away his tears, babbling breathlessly as he takes deep breathes. He mumbles out some form of agreement as Cressida comes over and sits beside him.

"I can handle this," she tells us. "He needs some quiet time, some understanding. You guys should get your parachutes on. We'll be at the drop zone in fifteen minutes."

We leave Timm in Cressida's care, heading off to do as she asked us. Glancing around, I can't help but wonder if this Squad is really going to be enough once we get to District Twelve. Besides Hopper, Timm and myself the ground soldiers will include Cressida, her camera crew, Finnick, Boggs and several burly soldiers from Thirteen. I didn't get their names, just that they are to protect us with their lives.

I don't like the way they're considered expendable. But, I also don't want to die... I just hope we get done here quickly. Straight in, straight out.

I soon get my wish on the straight in part, at least. The drop off point arrives and by then we're all suited up and ready to go. We stand in two lines with Boggs in the centre ahead of us. The ramp lowers behind him as he looks over us.

"Men, women... good luck," he says, lowering his goggles. "There is a chance they might fire up at us. The hovercraft will be firing off rockets to try and distract them, but if a shot fires and you live to hear it, use evasive action. Anything goes if it keeps you alive. The ground force have set up a landing zone; aim for the flashing red lights."

He takes a deep breath. Myself and all of those around me do the same.

"Go, go, go!" Boggs yells, taking a flying leap off of the hovercraft.

We all rush after him and leap off into the open air. My insides lurch for a few sickly seconds and then it feels like I'm weightless. Just like swimming, but in the air! I'd expected to be terrified, but this is actually cool. Far better when I'm not having to dive to save somebody falling to their death below me.

Hopper cheers in glee as he falls beside me, briefly giving me a salute as he dives down. Timm, on the other hand, only screams and shouts in alarm as he falls. Cressida falls beside him, looking like she's trying to calm him as they fall. I don't think it's working.

A distance away I spot the other two hovercrafts that came along, their own squads making a leap and a dive. They're too far for me to reach, but even from here it's easy to spot where Rue is. I can't hear her, but she seems to be loving the experience. With her arm finally back to normal, its like she's more free than ever before.

Looking down I can see District Twelve easily. A far smaller place than District Four, though right now it certainly looks to be in better condition. Considering that there is smoke and fire rising up from different parts of the District it really goes a long way of showing how messed up my own District is...

Halfway down to the ground a few flashes flicker from the surface. I have half a second to ponder on if they are spotlights of some kind before one of the soldiers near me is peppered with bullets. He dies fast, his body left to fall lifelessly beside me.

Crap, crap, crap!

The gunfire continues and it's fortunate for me that the first few shots were clearly lucky. Not for the guy who was shot, but at this point the enemy forces on the ground have started to miss every shot they fire. I spin around and start falling towards the left, trying my best to keep away from any of the shots being fired.

A few bullets whiz right past me. Instantly all feels faraway and light, like I might pass out. I force myself to fight against fear and keep going. Not much longer until the ground will be here. For some of us, it won't be soon enough. Several lifeless bodies are falling with the group, droplets of blood rising off them as they plummet.

A trio of rockets are launched from above and seconds later a trio of explosions impact the ground. The gunfire goes quiet after that, though it's not likely to be for long. I swallow back the bile, keeping my attention rested upon the landing zone. Sure enough, just as Boggs said, it's an area surrounded by glowing red lights.

Speaking of red lights, my wristwatch glows red. A clear sign I'm low enough to pull the cord. I let out a wheeze, another lurch passing through me as the parachute starts to rapidly slow my descent.

"Almost, almost," I tilt the cords to the side, steering left and right. I'm not making it easy for them to shoot me.

I see Hopper has pulled his parachute just fine. He makes many obscene gestures towards the distant Peacekeepers while steering left and right much like I am.

"How's it going Urchin?" he calls, giving me a wave. "You ok?"

"I didn't get shot," I call back. "So, I guess I'm doing better than that guy."

Right as I point to the corpse of the soldier who was slain beside me... eewww, his remains splatter on the dirt. Hopper, like me, flinches at the sight of this.

"Well, we should be on the ground soon," he says, narrowing his eyes. "Time to kick these pricks out of Twelve and back home to their crappy city!"

"And then we do the same in the next District and the next after that... and so on until we save our friends," I say, narrowing my own eyes. "Ready when you are."

I pale, spotting something aiming at us from below. A tank! Aw, crap! No, no, no!

"Tank! To the left, quick!" I yell, steering myself as I speak

Hopper doesn't respond, instead heeding my warning in an instant. Two or three seconds pass before a massive blast fires between us, soaring off far away.

We lose control after that, the force of the shot causing wind that makes us start to fly out of control. The ground is close, but we're still high enough for a fall to kill.. or at least maim us. I yell and shout, trying to keep control and not crash into anything. Hopper does much the same as we circle each other on the way down to the landing zone.

"Urchin, watch out! Aw, shit!"

"No, no, no!"

We crash into each other right after that. We cry out from the pain of impact, but soon the bigger problem is how we're tangled together as one, starting to gradually fall at a faster pace. We both scream, careening out of control as the ground comes ever closer towards us. Oh crap, we're coming right for it!

"Brace yourself!" I grimace, closing my eyes as the ground rapidly gets closer.

"If we die now, let Snow know that I hate him!" Hopper yells.

Pain surges throughout my body as, for the second time in as many HALO jumps, I land roughly. Worse yet is that I took the impact for Hopper. He lays upon me with a dazed look in his eyes. It's a few moments before either of us are stable enough to say much of anything.

"So... come here often?" he asks me, laughing despite what just happened.

"Just get off me Hopper. We have work to do... let's do it with a little dignity still intact," I groan, a hand over my face.

Hopper makes to move off me, but before he can we both wheeze in pain. Timm has landed right on top of us both. I can only moan, the weight of both of them anything but pleasant.

"That... was... scary..." he shivers, wide eyed and gripping his hair with both hands. "Never make me do that again!"

"What, no flowers?" Hopper chokes out, forcing a smile.

"Can somebody help us up?" I ask some of the guards standing around, waving my one free arm. "I'm kinda stuck."

"Wheeeeeee! Fun, fun!"

"Oh no..." I close my eyes, bracing for more pain.

A moment later Electra comes down from above right on top of Timm, the force surging through Hopper and I. He groans and I moan, feeling like my insides are being turned into some kind of chum.

"Again, again!" Electra cheers, clapping her hands. "Had fun! Want more!"

Electra pauses, hearing our groans of pain and dismay. She looks down at us and I look back up a her. For a moment we're silent as Electra cocks her head to the side, thinking hard.

"Ummmm... you guys sleepy? Having nap time?" she asks, looking at our laid out forms. "Kiss night-night?"

I begin to thrash around and struggle, calling for help. Hopper and Timm try to wriggle free as well, the tangled parachutes making this impossible. Electra giggles, starting to wriggle and bounce from her spot on top of Timm like this were the most fun game in the world.

"Somebody come over here and help us up!" I yell, waving my one free arm around. "For Panem's sake, we're wasting time!"

I can only groan. Not the best start to the mission, far from it. Then again, at least we ended up better off than the soldiers who died in the air. It could always be worse.

Looking around, I see so much grey dirt and old buildings. A covering of smoke hangs in the air above us. Clearly, there's a lot of work to be done here. Time to get stuck in.

...Once they get us unstuck from here first...

* * *

 **(Later...)**

* * *

After the embarrassment at the landing zone we're finally up and ready to get into action. We sit in a tent set up at the edge of the Seam, likely at the furthest point possible from the Merchant side of Twelve. I can't help but wonder if one of the houses around here was where Prim and Katniss lived. Is their mother here?

One Everdeen is dead, but I can still do my best to save the one still alive. No excuses can be made for not going all out.

All around me stand miners and even some of the richer folk in Twelve. Well, rich by Twelve standards. Nobody here looks very well fed, but even so they seem willing to fight. They clutch their pickaxes much like swords, all standing determined.

I can't help but wonder if myself and the other Mockingjays being here has anything to do with their drive to rebel. It feels like the mood is just a bit less hopeless than it should be, if that makes sense?

Or, perhaps, maybe it's partly the fact some of the Peacekeepers in Twelve had already defected to the rebel side before we got here. They stand around, guns at the ready for any sign of trouble. I feel safer with them being there. This must be the first time I've ever felt better with a Peacekeeper nearby. Normally they just make people feel bad.

The biggest surprise, however, was who seems to be calling the shots in Twelve. Or, at least she has been since the previous commander got shot into what she called an 'endless coma'... he died. Still, the somewhat skinny young woman who stands before us all definitely looks the part of a leader. She wears a worn schoolgirl sort of outfit with an unzipped thick leather army jacket over it and a helmet upon her blonde hair with a few bullets stuck into it. I can't help but notice a pink ribbon with a bullet somehow embedded within pokes out from underneath the helmet. An eyepatch covers her left eye and she keeps a hunting rifle close at hand. Her expression is serious, perhaps even a little bit determined and mischievous.

Hopper blushes as he observes her, muttering something inaudible every now and then. I have to admit, he was right. Madge Undersee is a pretty girl. Of course, I'm not about to come out and say this.

Not when Rue is eyeing me from her spot beside me.

"What are _you_ looking at?" she asks me, folding her arms. "Not Madge, right?"

"Uh, well... I kind of have to. I mean, uh, she is the one telling us what's going to be happening while we're here," I reply, not quite meeting her gaze.

"Good. That's what I thought you were doing as well," she says, stepping just a bit closer to me.

"You're the only one for me, don't worry," I take her hand, giving it a squeeze. "We'll go to Eleven as soon as we can, I promise."

"I hope you're right," Rue says, looking back towards Madge.

Rue is quiet after that, satisfied by my answer. A good thing indeed, because... well, war is hard enough to deal with. I cannot handle girl trouble on top of all that, I just can't! I suppress a shiver, trying to keep focused on Madge. Just... not so focused that Rue may get mad.

"-And that brings me to what our back-up from Thirteen are going to be doing," Madge says, giving us a nod of acknowledgement. "There is a tank going around causing is a lot of trouble. It's impervious to all the weapons we have. We're gotten it held back thanks to rough terrain for now, but it it breaks through we're all in danger."

Madge sighs, her hands on her hips. After a moment she points to one spot of the map with her hunting rifle.

"If we're gonna take it out, we'll need it to get trapped. Thus, we are planning to lure it onto this bridge. The bridge can support the tank's weight, but if it were to be blown up while the tank one on there we may just stand a chance," Madge starts twirling her rifle in her hands as she speaks. I can't help but flinch every time the barrel faces towards me. Is it loaded?! "The issue is, an explosive will need to be planted at the bridge and as it's quite a rubble filled area only somebody small would be able to get the explosive in place."

That's when she turns towards me. Of course... it was always gonna be me facing a tank. Who else?

"Urchin, we need you to get the explosive set up," she says, giving me a nod. "After that, the rest of us can handle the tank. With the tank broken, it should be easy enough to push back against the Capitol. They're gonna regret what they did to my dad!"

The crowd all yell their agreement, and so I soon find myself with an explosive pressed into my hands and two bulletproof vests shoved over me. I hardly get a word out, but if doing this means quickly taking the District then I really have nothing to complain about.

It seems Hopper has nothing to complain over either. He holds a grenade launcher in his hands, a big backpack slung on and gives me a grin.

"So, what do you think of my home?" he asks me, smirking. "Kinda crap, but it's home."

"It's... better than Four?" I say, awkward.

"Eh, if you think it's crap I won't be offended. Lots of people here don't like it either," Hopper says, shrugging as he loads up his weapon. "Still, nice women, wouldn't you agree?"

I can't help but feel like Rue is staring at me from the other side of the tent, awaiting my next words intently. I gulp, looking away.

"I can't. Taken boy, right here," I say, awkward. "...Rue may get jealous..."

"Ah, right. Totally get it mate," he says, nodding. "I'll never forget Dory and how, well, she was my first kiss... but, I guess I'll always be one to live in the moment. Right now, in this moment, I'm thinking... if I play the hero maybe Madge would kiss me?"

"You're thinking of that now of all times?" I groan, facepalming. "Focus!"

"You're the boss!" he says, laughing as he finishes loading the grenade launcher. "Let's do this!"

Madge turns to address us before we head out to the battlefield. As she gestures for everybody to quieten down I glance around at my squad. Hopper grins, Finnick looks bold and dashing, Timm trembles and holds Cressida's hand while she stands close to her camera crew and Boggs. I wonder how many of us will be dead by the time nightfall arrives...

Better to just not think about it. Though, what else is there to think of right now? War consumes my mind.

"Good luck out there troops," she says, giving the same salute to us that I've seen Prim and Rue make in the past. "Whether you're facing a tank, breaking cameras, storming a barracks or doing any other goal on the agenda... just know that I'm proud to get the chance to lead you all. You're a credit twelve. Now let's do this!"

We all yelp as a gunshot rings through the air. Madge yelps, the most alarmed of all of us. It's a moment before we all realise her hunting rifle accidentally fired when she suddenly held it up at the end of her speech. Madge gulps, looking notably sheepish as she lowers her weapon and slowly reloads it.

"Um... go team, woo..." she says, blushing. "Just pretend that didn't happen. Let's move out!"

We head to the exit of the tent as one, myself walking amongst my own Squad. Cressida and her crew have the cameras ready to go, so now I guess it's time to perform for them once again. Maybe this time I can do all of this without getting bitten by a mutt as well.

Hopper slides his way up beside me as we move along. I'd call him exciting and eager, but that'd be a pretty big understatement. He gives me a smirk as he holds his grenade launcher at the ready.

"Told you that Madge is awesome," he says, snickering.

I can't help but agree with him. If nothing else, she knows how to lead and command a group of soldiers. I can only hope she can do it well enough to ensure that we don't all end up dead in the dirt.

* * *

There we have it! Act 2 begins and the Mockingjays are out of the frying pan of D13 and into the fire of D12. The battle is only just getting started. Plenty of action still to come up, to and including the District Showdown of D12, so stay tuned for more!


	5. Act 2-2: Tanks for the Memories

**Disclaimer:** I do not own The Hunger Games.

 **Note:** Been a while, hasn't it? I guess you could say I have had a lot going on (gee, this is one common excuse with me...). Finishing Letter Starz, writing various scripts for my portfolio, feeling depressed, basically the normal things going on. Still, I feel inspired so with any luck I won't randomly drop the ball on the story for a while in the future. The war is really kicking off now... so, let's see how the carnage unfolds. :D

* * *

 **ACT 2: THE LIBERATION**

 **Part 2: Tanks for the Memories**

* * *

This is not how I imagined my second visit to District Twelve was going to go.

I'd expected that, if I was ever going to come back, it would be after mentoring a tribute to becoming a victor and joining them on their victory tour. Well, I guess that's when the rebellion ended up happening and changed everything. Now I'm spending this chilly winter's day walking along the side of a grimy river towards a distant bridge. If there's one word for my life it'd be 'unpredictable'.

"Hopper seemed happy didn't he?" Rue asks as she walks beside me.

"Yeah, I guess he's glad to be home," I say, nodding. "I mean, it's hardly much of a home right now with all the fighting, but at least he has a home of some kind."

"Makes you all the more glad for what you've got, doesn't it?" Rue says, frowning. She sighs, wrapping her arms around herself. "Isn't it insane that we could die any second from a sniper shot and we'd never know? Just... poof, gone."

"Yeah, I g-guess it is," I grimace, pulling on my helmet's straps a little. "Good thing we're armoured."

"I guess so. Think it'd stop a bullet?" Rue asks.

"It'll have to. It just has to," I tell her as we continue along the riverside. "So, did Katniss ever tell you much about Twelve? Anything that might help us?"

"Nothing more than you would know," she replies as we step over a few rocks. "We were with her for the same amount of time in our first Games."

This makes me think for a moment. Were we truly? We met her at the same time in the arena and we were both there when she died too. I can't help but flinch, thinking of how I managed to tackle Rue out of the way of Marvel's spear, but failed to be of any help to Katniss...

I pause, realising that Rue's statement is incorrect. Tyhere were surely two times where I was not there, or awake, to hear what she and Katniss were talking about.

"Wait, no. I was unconscious from pain when Weldar shot me with the arrow, remember?" I say, tracing my hand over where the arrow had pierced me. "Not only that but we got separated a little before we went to destroy the Career's supplies."

"Oh yeah, that's right," Rue taps her chin, thinking hard. "What did she say... it's been a while..."

As Rue thinks this over I glance at the river again. I can't help but gag when I see the bodies – both rebel and Peacekeeper – floating down the stream. Thing is, I'm hardly gagging as much as I'd assume is normal when one sees a human corpse, or several. I guess I'm getting used to all the misery and death that comes with war.

"Don't look at the water," I whisper to Rue.

"Urchin... I'm not an innocent kid anymore," she says, softly. "I'm just as used to it as you are. It's fine."

I don't think either of us really think it's fine, but what can I say besides just mumble a light agreement and look back ahead of us. Some situations just don't have any words for them.

We're silent for a while, every step taking us closer to the looming bridge. Our mission's objective. Once it's blown up then, according to Madge, this whole District should fall under rebel control a lot easier. I may be young, but I'm old enough to figure out that the Capitol hardly care about the smallest District. It won't be this easy in any of the other Districts, not that this is what I'd call easy to begin with.

It says a lot about the price of freedom when bodies fill the river of the 'easiest District'.

I glance behind us towards my camera crew. Cressida, Castor and Pollux keep pace with us easily, their faces grim. I'd not expect any smiles from them, not when we're in a warzone, especially as Messalla died during the HALO jump from the hovercraft. But, life goes on, even with him no longer with us.

I hardly knew him, but it makes me feel empty that we're just having to keep going like nothing happened.

"See that river?" I say to the camera. "That's what happens when people don't do what the Capitol wants. What Snow wants. Look at that... those poor people. Thin, scared and dead... who is to say that if a Capitol citizen angers Snow they won't end up that way too? He made my Escort, Prussia, disappear you know."

"My prep crew as well," Rue adds. I'm silent, this being news to me. "Last anybody heard of them, apparently they were saying it was unfair that I had to be in the Games again as 'doing it twice is not right'. Seeder said they vanished an hour later."

We're all quiet after that, letting the fact sink it. Cressida gives us a thumbs up from behind the camera, but it's nothing close to enough to raise our spirits. We have a job to do, and we've gotta do it well. I've destroyed the status quo without initially meaning to, so... how hard could it be to destroy a bridge?

As we reach the bridge I start to see that it's not going to be simple. The bomb has to be set on the underside of the bridge, but to even get there I'd have to scale up the side of the bridge. That or get up there and climb down from the side, but there's more risk of being seen from up there. I glance at Rue and she glances at me.

"Your arm only just got better. I should do the climbing," I say, already heading off with the bomb.

"I'll cover you," she says, quietly loading a rifle.

As much as I love the fact my girlfriend is so very brave, it just feels wrong on various levels to see a young lady holding a gun. I guess it'd be much the same seeing a young man holding one too. I guess I'm just getting a bit sick of war and gunfire. Even as I think, the distant gunshots from all directions don't show any signs of pausing.

"Thanks," I say to Rue, looking back at the bridge. "Think the others are having much luck with their own missions?"

"For all of our sakes, I sure hope so," Rue mumbles, her rifle held tightly. "I wonder what prim would think if she could see her home now."

"What's there to even say at this point?" is my quiet response.

I sling the bomb into my backpack as I reach the base of the large bridge. Glancing around the area I can make out a few rebel soldiers hidden in the overgrowths and trees that are dotted around the bloodied river, likely to ensure I don't get killed as I do my job. I wonder how many of them are gonna be dead in the dirt by the time this is all over.

...Straight up, straight down.

I've gotten plenty of chances to practise climbing in my youth and in the arenas themselves, so it's not hard for me to grab onto the footholds of the bridge and begin hauling myself up the side of it. Being pretty small only makes it easier for me to keep myself supported. I guess I heavier person would have a lot of trouble with this... and, well, that's basically why the job to plant the bomb ended up falling to me.

"Slow and steady, slow and steady," I tell myself, gritting my teeth. "Doing fine, no rush."

Before long I'm a decent way up the side of the bridge and, in addition to fighting the urge to vomit or faint,I'm now fighting the increasingly tempting urge to look down. I hold it back for now, inching my way along the side of the bridge towards the center. It may not be the most big or grand of rivers, but a bridge is still a bridge so it's a time sinker to reach the point I must.

I'm just lowering myself to the underside of the bridge when I hear a nasty rumbling. The tank! That's the only thing it could possibly be, its engine letting out a low roar as it trundles along firing out machine gun bullets.

Several waterside rebels are gunned down, their blood pooling down to mix in with the river water. I turn to look at Rue so fast that I give myself an ache in the neck. She fires off one shot and runs for the trees with the camera crew. She only makes it when a solider drops from the tree, taking a bullet for her. He's rolls into the water, already gone before anybody could've reacted.

I try not to think about the tears that burn my eyes, instead keeping on the move towards the center of the bridge. Slowly but surely my tired arms carry me there, though all it'll take to knock me off is one well placed bullet.

"Ok, ok... set the bomb," I narrate to myself, grabbing it out with one hand and forcing it into a small alcove on the underside, likely blown open by stray bullets or explosions. "Set the timer..."

One moment I'm reaching to press the button to start the timer. The next moment the bridge rattles as a explosion impact it, sending me down to the water below. I can't stop the scream as tainted river water floods my nose and mouth. I fight the urge to swallow, rasping and gagging it all out as the water carries me away.

The sight of the tank turning its turret in my direction breaks me into a panic and the start of the most desperate swim of my life so far. I submerge myself down under the water, my eyes shut tightly. I don't dare surface, instead swimming blindly and trying to not give in to the throbbing in my chest.

Bullets spray into the water somewhere to the left of me, harmless. A moment later I hear a massive blast and feel a sudden lurch as the water around me becomes overwhelmed with a sudden force. I surface, coughing and starting to choke, turning to look at the bridge.

...Or, what was the bridge at least. It's been blasted to pieces, the tank now upside down in the water and quickly sinking helplessly. Success! But how? I never got a chance to properly set the timer.

The sight of Rue fleeing back to the trees, reloading her rifle, gives me a good guess at what just happened. What a girl! Who needs a timer when a bullet can set the bomb off early? Just as well that the bombs were.. uh... I think the term is combustible? Whatever. The bullets set off some kind of a reaction and that's the important thing

A horrible dizzy spells comes over me, but I do my best to ignore it and swim for the shore. It's a struggling effort, one made harder as a bullet hits my helmet. More gunfire fills the world around me a moment later, a monstrous soundtrack to this desperate swim. The waterside rebels must have come to the rescue just in time.

Why does help always arrive with mere seconds to spare? I'm just saying, I'd not mind if it arrived early for once...

I stagger into the shore, hacking and coughing out drops of water that's surely filled with all manner of foulness. I might need a stomach pumping, but I won't even get that if I cannot get to cover from the gunfire.

I've made it five feet before a young man runs up to me and yanks me into his arms.

"We'll go faster like this," he says as he barrels for the trees, grim faced.

"Thanks," I say, wheezing. "That was too close..."

"Luckily for us that I was on patrol and you're a decent swimmer," he says as he carries us past the tree line. "Not letting one of Catnip's friends die."

I pause for a moment, getting a decent look at the young man. I'd guess he's around nineteen or so, complete with well kept dark hair and a tough build. I'd assumed, rightly in my own opinion, that all those in Twelve were starving, but this guy seems to have managed to maintain a muscular form just fine. Like a shark to my shrimp.

"Catnip?" I ask him, puzzled.

"Katniss," he says, swerving around the trees. "You helped her, you and your lady put her to rest... I wanna repay that. Name's Gale and I'm here to help."

"Don't get killed and we'll call it even," I say, quiet. "This is insane."

"This is war," he says. "You know it and I know it. Now... it's time to make the Capitol know it, both the feeling of defeat and the same pain they've put us through. Your sister is still captured, yeah?"

"She is," I say, my heart aching at the thought of Ula locked away. "I'd do anything to get her back safe and sound."

"Anything?" Gale says, leaping over a rope snare. "Urchin, I think we're gonna get along just fine. We'll get to base, regroup and give them hell!"

"Not a bad plan, all in all," I say, coughing out some more water. "I might need my stomach pumped first."

"Walk it off, you've overcome worse and you know it," Gale says, assuringly. "Just pain."

Fact is, Gale is right. What a whirlwind my life is... I mean, it's reached the point where I can honestly say falling off a damaged bridge in a warzone and getting blood tainted water in my lungs isn't the worst thing I've lived through.

If I can survive that, I can survive the rest of the battle for District Twelve. I can only pray all my friends can as well.

* * *

 **(Not much later...)**

* * *

I'm soon taken to a temporary camp of sorts within the forest. The gunfire is no less distant than it already was. In fact, my ears feel like they're popping due to all the shots and explosions going on.

It's why I request earmuffs for when I get back into the battlefield. Too bad for me when I'm told they are 'fresh out'. At least they do a decent job of patching me up while Madge updates on everything else that is going on.

"Things are going well," she tells me. It's strange, really, seeing a girl dressed so seriously and yet looking so perky. "The bridge is broken and we've received confirmation on the causalities of its crew. Without that tank the enemy won't be able to fight back quite so easily. We'll be starting to march on them soon."

"How soon is that gonna be?" I ask.

"I'd say as soon as I get word that all the other tasks have been completed," Madge says. "You've gotten the main one done, but we're still waiting on confirmation for the destruction of all ten of the major security cameras and the secondary barracks being stormed. Once those things are done we can regroup and push into the merchant side of Twelve. We might even be able to have the District under rebel control by dawn."

I can't help but think this is going far faster than I had expected. Small as Twelve is, I'd assumed an ongoing battle of perhaps a week, but at this rate we'll be in the next District in under forty hours. Not that I mind of course. The faster we fight and the quicker the Capitol falls, the sooner I can save Ula and Prim.

Gale and Madge soon leave to continue the fight, Gale with a crossbow and Madge with her hunting rifle. That leaves me in here to get some rest before the next phase of the battle, per their orders. I'd insisted on getting back out there to speed things up as much as I could, but Madge hadn't been willing to risk my safety.

"You wouldn't make me sad and go out there when you need rest, would you?" she asked, all innocent and quiet.

If she thought acting like that would make me fold and agree to take a break... bugger, she's right. So, I've been getting my breath back while all the carnage rages onwards. Time passes slowly and without any real events, aside my ever increasing worry that something may have happened to Rue. She was quite near me, so why isn't she here yet?

Thankfully, my worries vanish five minutes later when she staggers into the medical tent I'm in. Aside from being out of breath my lady is unharmed. After wheezing for a bit, she lets out a laugh and pats my on the shoulder.

"We sure showed them, didn't we?" she says, a cheeky smirk on her face.

"We did," I agree, letting her lean against me. "Not over yet though. ...So many people are dead out there. I know we're fighting for a good cause, but..."

"Yeah," Rue says, softly. "It's like a hundred Cornucopia bloodbaths at once."

"It's only going to get worse," I say, shaking my head. "...We both know that we'll keep going though, right? Whatever it takes to save our families."

"Whatever it takes," she agrees, yawning. "We can cry when it's all over. Until then, we've got work to do."

We're silent for a while, enjoying the company we share and being able to pretend we're normal kids for a few minutes. But soon boredom sets in and I'm pacing around the tent, searching for anything useful that I could be doing.

It's not that long before I find a security monitor tucked away at the corner of the tent. Well, I guess it's more of a small laptop then anything else. It's got several screens within the main screen, each one showing footage from around the District. All of them show either a fight in progress or many dead bodies sprawled around.

I don't envy whoever has the terrible job of cleaning up after the battle is over.

"See anything much?" Rue asks as she walks over.

"Battles and bodies. Lots of both," I tell her. "Wait, hang on..."

Two of the screens catch my attention swiftly. One of them shows a barracks of sorts, one that's just now gone up in flames. The screams from within have me muting the volume in an instant, unable to hear more of it... or, I guess just unwilling.

"That'll be the secondary barracks," I say, shivering. "You know, growing up I never liked Peacekeepers, but I feel bad for them now."

"Same," Rue agrees, looking away. "It makes you think, really what kinds of lives they have off the clock. Who may their family and friends be?"

"...We can't think like that too much," I say, shaking my head. "These things happen in war. We have to remember that. We have to fight."

"Then fight we shall," Rue says. "...Urchin, top left screen. What's Hopper doing?"

I find myself unable to answer that question, even as I expand the video screen and take a closer look. At the edge of the District is Hopper, standing before a billboard. I can't help but frown, seeing what is upon the billboard.

It's me, labelled as a terrorist. 'Report information on the ocean terrorist and help your Capitol'. You've got it all wrong Snow; I'm the one trying to help poeple, you're the one killing everybody in sight!

"You're popular," Rue says, leaning closer to the screen. "You're on billboards now. What a celeb you are, Urchin."

"I wish they hadn't," I say, rolling my eyers. "They've gotten my nose all wrong."

I don't say much after that, Rue and I focused on what Hopper's plan is here. With cans of spray paint he works fast, vandalising the billboard until it is covered in the familiar sea storm blue of District Four and a fire breathing mockingjay. He cackles, tossing away the paint cans and whipping out a megaphone.

"Hey! Snowmen! We just trashed your barracks, tank and billboard. Got anything left?" he yells, laughing. "Get out of my home!"

Hopper fires off a few grenades from his grenade launcher, each one blowing up several hastily built structures. No barrier of wood or sandbags stands a chance

"Let the District Showdown begin!" Hopper yells, leaping off of the billboard platform and back into the battle.

I can't help but feel impressed by his spirit in battle. Here's me having to take a break, while Hopper is still fighting without pause. He's doing his home proud, fighting off the invaders left and right.

He's saving Twelve, while I simply failed to save Four.

"We need to go and join him," I tell Rue, heaving up my rifle. "...Ready?"

"As much as I'll ever be," Rue says, taking a deep breath. "...Aw fruit biscuits, look!"

On one of the screens a second tank roars into life, charging out of the wreckage of the barracks. I feel my stomach drop as various rebels are crushed by the tracks and shot by the cannon and machine guns. It's a mess, one I'm becoming far too familiar with.

How do we take out the second tank?! The armour on this one looks tougher, the cannon is stronger and there is no bridge to trap the tank on anymore. So, what can we do? I guess we just do what comes natural.

Nobody tries to stop us as we run from the tent and back towards the site of the main battle. Many soldiers run alongside us, all ready to lay down their lives and fight. I find myself suddenly scooped up alongside Rue, the pair of us swiftly upon Gale's shoulders as he charges through the forest.

"Thanks for the ride," I tell him, holding myself and Rue steady.

"No worries. I figure the sooner we get there, the sooner we can get these bastards out of the District," Gale says, determined. "Hold on!"

We do, and it's a good thing we listened. Gale charges through the woods with all the speed of a bear. It's like riding a speedboat! Rue and I almost fall several times, only staying upon Gale's shoulders by quickly reaching out to catch each other.

It occurs to me halfway through the charge that we don't have a plan. As the sounds of the distant tank's grinding tracks and heavy cannon get closer, more and more I see that just 'doing what comes natural' is not going to work.

Before I can bring up the issue here, fire fills my world and an explosion has me soaring. My scream burns like the fire suddenly around me. Firebombs! A hovercraft soars away in the sky past the burning forest canopy, the culprit of the attack.

It takes me some time to struggle up from the ground and by the time I do the fire that fills the forest is close. Bodies lay around, though Rue and Gale are not among them. They kneel over nearby, both getting their breaths back. I make my way over to them, my hair feeling rather singed.

It's on fire!

I roughly pat out my head, dreading the next time I'll look in the mirror. My curls will surely be ruined, but better it be them than my skin getting burnt.

"What do we do now?" I ask Rue and Gale. "We can't stay here."

Gunshots ring out, as do screams. My stomach turns as I glance off in the direction of all the fighting going on.

"If we run out there where they're expecting us then they'll gun us down," I mutter, shivering. A few coughs from all the smoke keep me from speaking for a couple of moments. "We need to go another way."

" _Is_ there another way?" Rue asks. I can't help but feel my stomach turn again when I see the burn mark on her arm.

"Gale, you're from around here. Any ideas?" I ask. Please, please, can life give me just one favour and let Gale have a way past the firing squad?

"Yeah, I got one," he groans as he stands up, a hand clutching his side. "We'll take the long route, past the nightlock bushes. Though I warn you, it's dangerous."

Our assurances that we know what nightlock is go unheard. Gale warns us that it's something worse lurking in the area he's taking us. From our perch upon his shoulders it's easy to see what is lurking in this area of the forest.

Tracker-Jackers.

"Don't do anything to make them mad," Gale hisses. "Pain like you can't imagine."

Thing is, I can imagine it. I've been stung by them in days gone by, back in that deadly forest of the Seventy Fourth Hunger Games. The visions aren't something I think I can ever forget. I feel a shiver pass through my body as Gale runs us through the area, the walls of fire forcing us closer than sensible towards the flying bugs. Some are aflame as they buzz around, swiftly dying. Others start to buzz in our direction.

"They're coming," Rue mutters, wide eyed.

"And we're going," Gale says, panting lightly. "Get your weapons ready. Once we're out in the open I'm gonna make a run for a tool shed. It's a stretch of two hundred yards between the trees and shed, so if somebody is there... do what you've got to do."

As much as I hate the idea of taking more lives, I find that I have no problems agreeing to Gale's order. The fewer troops the Capitol have, the easier it'll be to save all the hostages. Surely they'd be easier to defeat with a smaller army, no matter how little smaller it is. It's sick, thinking of human lives like they're numbers, or as simple as fish or something, but it's war.

I wonder how long I can use 'it's war' to justify my actions. Would Rue see it that way?

Perhaps. She's thirteen and I'm twelve; we're not little kids anymore.

* * *

 **(Not long after that...)**

* * *

We reached the tool shed easily enough, but now we're faced with a bigger problem. How to get rid of the tank and the fact the rest of the Mockingjay Flock must be scattered around Twelve. Or they may be... no! I scold myself for thinking that way, realistic as it might be.

Rue sits beside me, hey eyes narrowed and focused. She's trying to work out a way to fight the tank with the meagre weapons we have. But, as good as our gear is, nothing can break through that thick metal armour.

Already we've gone over sixteen ideas to get rid of it, from having the hovercraft that dropped us off charge right into it over to something as simple as waiting for it to run out of fuel. Alas, it's time we do not have.

Gale looks out of the window, grim faced.

"This could go either way," he says, tired. "If we could just destroy that damn tank before it destroys every building in Twelve then the rest should be easy. We had no idea that there was a second tank. This wrecks all of our plans."

"Do you have any land mines to blow it up with?" Rue suggests, snapping her fingers. "Like, the ones around the pedestals in the arenas?"

"Where would we get them?" Gale asks, shrugging. "Twelve doesn't have that kind of stuff. We have bullets, dynamite and grenades, that's it. Not strong enough."

We're silent again after that, the only sounds being screams and explosions outside. I can't help but feel cowardly, hiding away in a shed while others are out there risking their lives. The only thing is, every time we get near the door the terrible rumble of the tank gets near once again. Out of one wreck and into another...

"Somebody's coming," Gale hisses, readying the crossbow.

"Don't shoot!" I yell. "It might be an ally!"

From beyond the door a desperate voice calls my name, pleading for help. I open the door fast, letting Timm and Electra inside. They work together to carry Valkri behind them. I recoil when I see that the fierce fighter from Two has blood running down her left side, so much of it. I can't be sure if all of it is hers and not from people already dead, but what I do know is that she looks to be in great pain. Rue is by her side in an instant, trying her best to calm her down.

"What happened?" Rue squeals, pale in the face just like I am.

"Bombs... shrapnel," Valkri hisses, slumping down against the wall. "Trouble with the barracks..."

"So loud..." Electra curls into a ball in the corner, sniffling. "So loud..."

It's Timm who fills me in on things. The Peacekeepers made shrapnel bombs and one of them got Valkri. The man who stood beside her took the worst of it, hence the blood coating Valkri, but it's all too easy to spot the metal wedged into her hip and lower chest. If not for the armoured shirt she might have died.

"What do we do?" Timm asks, his knees knocking. "We need a plan. Now! Now! Oh, we're all gonna die..."

"No we're not," I say, rising up. "Maybe we could lure the tank to the water somehow. And... and even if not, we can't stay here. Sooner or later this building is going to get blown up as well. We need to-."

Explosions from outside cut me off, as does the wild laughter and gunfire that follows it. Hopper! Hearing my friend makes me open the door just a crack, peering outside.

It's as much of a vicious warzone as before. But now, the tank is very close. So close that my heart aches from the speed it beats at.

"Go," I whisper to my friends. "Get to safety, I'll be right with you."

"You're not doing this alone Urchin." Rue says. She puts her hand on her hips, making sure to loom an inch over me. "I'm helping too. We're a team here."

"I'll take these three back to cover," Gale says, heaving up Valkri into his arms and Electra onto his shoulder. "Timm, you ok to run on foot?"

"Y-yeah, I think so," Timm says, gulping.

As Rue and myself run to take cover behind some nearly rubble we watch as Gale and Timm sprint away to an alley. Every second feels like an eternity, but they make it without harm. At least, no harm that I can see. There's no guarantee that the gunshots ringing out across the District won't be killing shots, beyond my vision.

I gag, a hand over my mouth. All the blood, the war, it just makes a guy sick after a while.

"You ok?" Rue asks me.

"Nope," is my response. "You?"

"I'm doing no better," Rue says, shaking her head. "So, what's the plan?"

What, indeed. I'm not a stranger to taking on opposition a lot stronger and bigger than myself – Glimmer certainly comes to mind there – but there is a distinct difference between a mutt or a Career... and a **tank**! How can we piece the armour? The question leaves me beached, like a boat stuck ashore.

"I've got nothing," I say, shaking my head. "Anything?"

"No," Rue sighs, tugging on her hair. "I bet it's not so tough on the inside. Just the armour that's the problem."

"Well, that's the thing with tanks. They're solid as a rock," I say, shaking my head. "Just like an armoured boat."

Gunshots and Hopper's distant laughs as he fires his grenade launcher are all that I hear for several long moments. That and the tank's slow, grinding movements. Rue snapping her fingers soon jpins the mix.

"That's it! I'm a genius!" Rue exclaims, fist pumping.

If not for the fact we're in the middle of a battlefield I'd probably be blushing over how cute her serious face looks. I shake my head, making sure we both stay low to the ground.

"What's the plan?" I ask her, flinching as another firebomb goes off.

"Well, it's tough as a rock like you said. But like I said, it's not so tough on the inside," she says. Rue gives me a meaningful look, but I can't say I know what she means.

"...So?" I prompt her.

"So, if we could get something to go down the turret, like a grenade... boom!" she pounds a fist to her palm, grinning coldly. "It'll take out the tank and... well, its crew. After that the battle should be won."

"You're right, you are a genius," I tell her, patting her shoulder. "Ok, got a grenade?"

"I was hoping you did," she says, sheepish. "...Let me guess, neither of us have one?"

"You guess correctly," I say, groaning. "Wait... Hopper!"

"Duh! Grenade launcher," Rue facepalms, letting out a humourless laugh. "See him?"

It's not so much a question of if I see him. Rather, it's more like if I can hear Hopper and, of course, I do. He's not far away, but neither is the tank. I'm sprinting through the corpse littered streets before I can think about it, Rue running along behind me. Blood covers the dirt streets and bones are littered alongside the remnants of broken buildings.

It's a war zone I wish I didn't have to get used to, but for Ula's sake I will. Several Peacekeepers start to enter the street ahead, each with a gun. I leap through the broken window of a wrecked building to avoid them, but that only lands me right next to another Peacekeeper.

He looks at me and I look at him.

He raises his gun and I raise up my own.

I'm quicker on the draw, my bullet fired into his gut before he can pull the trigger. I'm pale faced, like I just took a bath in cold sweat or something. I killed a man! ...Worst part is, I don't feel too much. I just... rreacted.

"Urchin..." Rue whispers, her eyes wide.

"I..." I can't even think of anything to say.

"...Him or you," Rue says, mostly to herself. "Let's go."

I take one look back at the Peacekeeper. He's still moving, even if only a bit. His white uniform turns red so very fast. I gag, but follow after Rue all the same. Maybe he'll survive long enough to get some form of medical care?

Maybe I won't add another body to the count.

* * *

 **(Not long after that...)**

* * *

We find Hopper amongst the smouldering remains of what used to be a care home, evidenced by the sign post ablaze nearby. He gives us a wave as we crowd beside him, but something's different about him now. He's not laughing anymore.

On the contrary, he's furious.

"Look what they've done to my home," he whispers, his eyes closed tightly. "Just... look, Urchin. Look at the mess, Rue. This is sick."

Looking around as Hopper reloads the grenade launcher, I find that Rue and I are inclined to agree with him. Twelve is in a terrible state and if the battle doesn't end soon there may not even be a thing left for the winning side to make use of.

I can't help flinching when the thought of what Katniss would say about all of this passes through my mind. It's depressing to think about...

"Bad enough they caused all this hell to hit my District. But now they've destroy my home... see that burning bed over there?" he says, bitterly pointing to a roasting old bunk. "That was mine."

"Have you seen any of your friends?" I ask, fearing what answer I may receive.

"Never really had any," Hopper says, shaking his head. "Now, as for _partners in crime_ – totally a different thing – I've seen three bodies."

He shakes for a moment, wiping away a tear. Rue puts a hand to his shoulder, while I peer over the wrecked wall. Sure enough, the tank is not far away from us. The turret turns, slow and scary. I duck down fast, knowing what is sure to happen if we are seen.

But, if Rue's plan is to work, it's pretty likely that we'll have to be seen at some point. How else can we get a grenade down the turret?

"Hopper, how much ammo do you have left?" Rue asks, a flicker crossing her eyes.

"Four grenades," he says.

"Spare one?" Rue says, holding out her hand.

Hopper passes one over to her. I tilt my head, puzzled by this. I was under the impression we'd take careful aim and fire a grenade down the turret. But, I guess I'm the one in the dark here. Rue seems to know what she's doing and I don't doubt it's going to be risky.

"What's the plan?" I ask at the same time as Hopper.

"Like we said Urchin, this grenade is going down that tank's turret," Rue says, smirking. "...My family is in danger, but we can't go to Eleven until we're all done here. I'll make this one fast. Cover me!"

I don't get a word out before Rue vaults over the crumbled wall and charges for the tank. I yell for her to come back, perhaps a foolish giveaway of our position, but there's no stopping her as she sprints for the tank. Hopper fires out his last three grenades, one by one, towards distant Peacekeepers while I take pot shots with the rifle. I try not to think about the agony of those the bullets hit, for the sake of my own sanity and soul.

Rue's always been fast and she's not stopping now. She leaps over rubble, rolls under a fallen utility pole and dodges past a few spikes that somebody set down. My heart pounds through her charge, the fear that my girlfriend is running towards her death far worse than any amount of seasickness.

When Rue charges right at the tank, starting to climb onto it, it occurs to me I truly have no idea what she is doing. Is she mad?!

"Rue must be losing it from all the trauma," I mutter, barely daring to watch.

"Isn't she cool?" Hopper adds, cheering Rue on. "Go Rue! Go!"

"She could die!" I screech.

A gunshot fires through the air, a slump from behind me following after. A glance back shows how close the Peacekeeper, about five seconds dead, was behind me. The body still clutches a serrated dagger, already smeared with blood. Lots of it.

Madge stands by, slowly lowering her hunting rifle. A trickle of smoke escapes from the gun barrel.

"So could you if you don't pat attention," she says, reloading her gun. "What's the status of the 'district showdown'?"

"Rue's rushing at the tank," Hopper says, smirking. "She's got a plan. This could be awesome!"

"Or, you know, fucking horrifying if she is shot," I hiss, peering back over the rubble. "Oh geez, look!"

Perhaps it was foolish of me to doubt the girl who survived by my side in back to back Hunger Games. Maybe war has just made me cynical and not as optimistic in Rue's ability as I should be, but clearly I'm the fool of the moment. Beside me Hopper cheers and behind me Madge gasps. Frankly, I'm not sure which of them to mimic right now.

Rue leaps past the two machine guns, their gunshots being delayed and hitting each other. As the guns spark and jam Rue shimmies along the turret like a monkey.

"This one's for the Everdeens!" Rue shouts, yanking the pin out of the grenade.

In one motion she tosses it down the turret and leaps off the tank. The explosion is fiery and massive, thick smoke billowing out from inside the tank. I stare, stunned at how flawlessly it all worked out. No drawbacks, no nasty consequences for us... it _worked_.

"Never send an adult to do a kid's job," Hopper remarks, reloading his rifle. "...Shit. Duck and cover!"

The tank detonates again, far more severely than the first time. He explosions sends fire billowing around and scorches both the air and the ground. We gasp and wheeze, the air tasting like burnt dust. Only when I rise and see the massive cloud of dirt and embers do I notice the lack of a wonderful girl beside me.

I mean, Madge is nice, but you know what I mean...

"Rue! Rue!" I leap up, shouting into the cloud. "Rue, are you alright?"

I'm not sure what I really expected to happen next, exactly, but it certainly wasn't Finnick leaping out from the ash cloud with Rue under his arm. Least of all the way he strikes a pose, coated with grim and the blood of the enemy as he may be.

At least, I hope it's blood that doesn't belong to Finnick!

"Did you lose something?" Finnick asks, nodding towards Rue.

"Hey, let me go," Rue says, smirking.

Finnick does so and we all crowd around in the wreckage. The destruction of the second, and thankfully last, tank seems to have really struck one harsh blow to the Capitol forces. From here I can see some running for their lives and others drop to their knees in a surrender. Those who stand and fight are already starting to get pushed back, assuming they're not mowed down first.

It seems that, for the most part, the battle has been won.

"Hey, Finnick, you've got something in your leg," Rue says, flinching.

Sure enough, within my uncle's leg is what looks like a shard of metal. It doesn't look bad, as he still managed to get Rue out of the ash cloud, but it sure looks painful. His smile is pretty strained.

"Oh, this? 'Tis just a flesh wound," he says. "I'll have the doctors take it out once we're off the battlefield."

"Seems like the battle's over. Should we head back to the hovercraft?" I ask, glancing around at all the destruction. "...Or, well, maybe help clean this place up?"

"Not it!" Hopper says, already marching away.

"But it's your District," Rue says, huffing. "What, you're wanting us to clean it all up?"

"Yep, that's exactly what I am saying," Hopper says, smirking. "Thanks for catching on so fast."

Hopper doesn't get too far before Madge calls out to him. It's as if he forgot that the girl he has a crush on was standing right near us, and honestly I'd not put it past Hopper to just randomly forget about that. One cheeky wink from Madge and he's made his way back on over.

"Are you sure you don't want to help clear a few things up?" she asks, tracing her foot in a slow circle and making her bottom lip quiver.

Oh, damn, this girl is good. Hopper caves near instantly, starting to gather up various wrecked bricks and piling them up neatly.

"Like I was saying, we all have to play our part in making Twelve get put back the way itnshoudl be," he says, quickly.

"Hey, you said no such thing!" Rue says, a hand over her giggling mouth.

Finnick laughs in spite of the war we're stuck in the middle of. I can't help but give Madge an impressed look. It seemed effortless to get Hopper to help out.

"How'd you do that?" I ask her.

"Oh, a woman has her ways," Madge tells me. "Who knows, your little girlfriend might do the same thing and you'd be unable to resist."

Madge makes her way over to Rue, pulling her in for a hug.

"For the Everdeens, huh?" she says. "What a great battle cry."

"Just doing what I can for Prim, Katniss and, well, their mom too," Rue says, hugging Madge in return.

I can't deny it, the idea of being made to do whatever Rue says and hardly even realising she's doing it freaks me out. Then again, when is it a bad time to assist somebody you love? Or, for that matter, somebody you simply like?

I'd say it's never a bad time and so, as Madge falls under the list of people I like, I willingly agree to assist with the clean-up and finishing up the remnants of the Capitol's forces in the area. But, hard as it may be to get Twelve looking like a suitable place to live once again, there's a bigger issue upon my mind.

Where are we going to go next? I don't doubt that the battles will only get harder and harder from here on. I almost died a few times today; explosions, gunshots, the fire bomb, a Peacekeeper with a knife and maybe other things that I was lucky enough to not notice and still survive... what will the next District of Panem be like?

I try not to think about it. I'm not the one making all of the plans here, just the one following them for now. I try to focus on helping transport the wounded to the medical tents, reminding myself that Twelve has been put under rebel control in less than a full day since we arrived.

If all the others fall so easily, then Ula will be back beside me before long.

* * *

 **(Time passes...)**

* * *

Clean up took a while, as did the arrest and interrogations of the Peacekeepers who surrendered. Honestly, it's still going on. By the time I heard the third gunshot I had to get out of there.

I'm sure they won't mind if I take a break to get myself calmed down sooner rather than later. I told Finnick that I was taking a walk and, as he had no problem with it, I began to walk.

And walk.

...And walk...

Eventually my walk took me to the fence at the edge of Twelve. The sign says it's electric, but I'm not so convinced by this. I've seen electric fences back in Four, always by where the boats are parked or where factories of great importance were built. They always had a tell tale sort of buzz to them that could be heard when you got close to them.

There's no such buzz here. I tap the fence, feeling nothing. Dormant, just like I had expected.

I stand for a while, staring out beyond the fence. No mans land, technically, as the area beyond the fence is outside the Panem border, at least I think so? Nothing beyond but forest, forest, more forest and eventually District Thirteen. I wonder how mom's doing back there.

Perhaps Coral has been let out from solitary by now. As bad as her mistake was, I don't think she deserves being stuck in a cell. No, in my opinion one man deserves that more than anybody and, honestly, _much_ worse.

Snow.

I'm soon enough ready to turn back, but a glow within the woods catches my eye. Same for the small figure that I can see for a moment beside it.

I don't think about what I'm doing until I've already moved though a gap in the fence. I guess the advantage of being small is fitting somewhere that bigger people can't.

"Ok, where are you going," I mutter as I follow after the glow up ahead. "Who are you?"

I'd like to think that it's nobody dangerous. They look about the same size as I am, perhaps an inch or two shorter. In a fight, I know I'd win.

I didn't leave my weapons behind, you know.

* * *

 **(Time passes...)**

* * *

Walking through the forest at night... not one of my better ideas. I'm reminded all too much of my journey through my first Hunger Games, and a section of my second. Every twig that snaps reminds makes me assume a tribute is near, every soft howl of the wind makes me think a mutt is nearby and every time thunder very distantly booms hundreds of miles away I think for a split second it's a cannon firing and an innocent has been murdered.

I could have turned back several times already, fleeing for my life like a kid, but something about the glow keeps me moving onwards. I'm not sure where they are going – in fact, I think they've been circling the area at last three times by now – but on the off chance it's an innocent civilian I can't justify leaving them in the dark forest.

I only hold back from calling to them in case they're somebody who wants my head on a platter.

"Who are you?" I mutter, taking care not to make too much noise. "Why are you out here?"

A howl fills the night, perhaps one from a wolf. I take that to be my cue to call to the person and make a run for it, whether or not they have killing intent, but they make a noise of their own before I can do anything.

In this case, the sound I hear is Timm's screaming.

"Timm? Timm!" I yell, charging forwards to meet him. Sure enough, it's the boy from Eight and his face is so pale that if I didn't know better I'd assume he was albino. "Come on, let's go!"

He's frozen to the spot, shaking madly. Fear has locked him into place... I guess, in a sense, it's up to me to... uh... unlock him? If I cannot make him move, then perhaps I could get rid of the thing scaring him.

Lucky for me, I can see it coming right towards us. How crazy must my life seem to a stranger when I can call something like this 'lucky'.

I don't hesitate, pulling the trigger on my rifle. The wolf is dropped soon after, the body tumbling for a few moments before going still. I sigh, putting my weapon away.

"What are you doing out here Timm?" I ask, confused. "If I wasn't here... Timm, please, tell me what's going on."

He takes a few deep breathes, trying to steady his hands and not drop his flaming torch.

"I was trying to toughen up," he says, looking away. "I figured, um... a few hours in a dark forest, well, maybe it would help me get braver, tougher... it worked for you."

As I lead Timm back in the direction I am reasonably sure Twelve is located, I get the full story of it through his ramblings. He kept running away during the battle with terror surging through him, he keeps thinking himself as a coward, he claims that his constant fleeing could haver gotten Electra hurt if Valkri hadn't got in the way and taken the hit for her.

He says he hates himself and how he's stuck in a war he feels unable to fight in. By the time we're back on the more or less safe side of the fence he's not bothering to hold back any tears.

"I'm no mockingjay," he says, a hand over his face. "I'm not part of this flock. I'm just a coward who wants to be far away from all the fighting."

"Timm, we're all scared," I try to tell him. "I'm always afraid. I fight like I do so that nobody will have to be afraid anymore. You're not alone... and you're gone."

Sure enough, Timm is already running off back to the town area in shame. I decide I cannot blame him, not really.

Not when, truthfully, I feel like I am hardly holding myself together as well.

"We won, but it sure doesn't feel like we did," I say to myself, walking back to the town.

* * *

 **(Time passes...)**

* * *

It's decided that the night will be spent in what was the mayor's house, basically Madge's house by this point. The hovercraft is in need of repairs, and so we're not going to be able to go anywhere until sunrise at the earliest. It'll be a short stop back at Thirteen and then we're gonna be heading off to the next District that is in need of saving.

District Eight. Naturally, Rue wasn't pleased what Eleven got pushed back again, while Valkri was distraught we won't be going to help her own District. She insists that time is of the essence. Not to mention that her friend Minnie is still in the Capitol, under lock and key. Can't say I don't know how Valkri feels.

The news of Eight being next on the list didn't make Timm feel any better. If anything, I think he feels like he's an embarrassment to his own home. 'I'm not the hero they need' was what he said before he went to bed.

I sit awake, gazing around the room. Valkri has been patched up enough to rest in an old bed, Hopper sleeps contently in an armchair, Electra lays on a mattress with an arm around Timm as she slumbers. As for Timm, his sleep looks anything but restful.

Beside me on the old, red sofa is Rue. We're both worn out from the battle, but sleep eludes us. All the things we saw have sank in, as has Rue's realisation of how she killed the crews in both tanks, both on the bridge and in the town itself.

Her bravado is gone and she's not handling it well. She's been silent for an hour, occasionally wiping away a tear when one leaks out.

Can't say I'm shocked. Today was the day that she became a murderer, just like me. Unlike my own first kill, there isn't an ongoing kill or be killed battle to stop it setting in. Here, the guilt's hitting her right away. Part of me wants to just tell her that she sped up the battle a lot and thus sped up the fall of the Capitol... and that, as they were going to kill all the innocents ion the area – in fact, they killed several before we got here – that they deserved it.

But the other part of me knows how awful that is. I don't see it helping much. I settle for just putting an arm around her, holding her close until she feels ready to speak.

"I just want this to be over," she eventually tells me. "All the blood, that horrible scent of death... you know the one... what kind of life is this?"

"Not a life at all," I say. "Ideally, we win and then nobody ever has to live this way ever again."

"That's just it though, what happens when we win?" Rue asks, curious. "I mean, freedom, no more Hunger Games... but... well, what do we do?"

I have to admit, her question gives me a reason to pause. I hadn't really thought further ahead then 'save Ula and Prim, destroy Snow and try to live with myself afterwards'. What will we do? There's no way we'd ever be able to grow up as normal kids into normal adults. Not when we're the faces of a rebellion. Not when there's no guarantee of our families surviving this war.

Damn... we might end up as orphans.

"I honestly don't have any idea. All my future plans, what little I had, were destroyed the moment I got reaped the first time. I just wanted to be a fisherman, have a normal, safe and boring life, maybe find a nice girl..." I can't help bitterly chuckling. "I got one of those things, come to think of it."

"And don't you forget it," Rue adds, smirking. Her smirk soon dies, giving way to a more neutral look. "Not being paranoid, honest, but if you'd never been picked for the Games... would you have married Dory?"

I consider this. Dory and I were friends since our toddler days, up until the moment she died. It was no secret that she always had a bit of a crush on me. I never really knew how serious it was, as she did have a habit of being the schoolyard flirt, but... thinking of all the 'could've beens' soon has me depressed.

"It's possible," I say, my head hanging. "I miss her."

"Me too," Rue says, soft. "...We can say how bad we feel all we want, but we're not giving up are we? I know you, and you know me... we both know we're in this until the bitter end."

"Damn right," I say, my fists clenched. "We'll go to Eight, do what we have to do and live with the aftermath. Same in all the other Districts, from One to Eleven. We'll live with it."

"We'll live with it," Rue repeats to herself. She breathes deep, almost breathless. "Is it even possible?"

"It'll have to be," I say, staring at the wall. "However good or bad we feel, we'll be in Eight before we know it. Let's show them our smiles, right?"

Rue puts on a smile, fake as the Capitol's 'generosity'. Of course, I can't blame to be able to do better. Even after a victory, it's hard to feel fully content.

The thought that Ula and Prim may suffer because of our actions weighs down on me, keeping me wide awake as the night goes on.

Hopper managing to leave the room without me even seeing him go keeps me up further, as does the fact he does not return.

"I sure hope Plutarch has some good news when we're back at base," I mutter, finally starting to fall asleep an hour before sunrise.

* * *

The rebellion is getting underway with D12 under the rebel's control now, but how are things in the other Districts? Has the Capitol got a few nasty, evil schemes in mind? ...Ok, duh to that second one but what may the schemes actually be? Things are heating up and a roaring fire is catching across Panem. Let's see where the plot leads us when we land within the borders of District Eight. :D


	6. Act 2-3: Bravery and Brutality

**Disclaimer:** I do not own The Hunger Games.

 **Note:** Here we are, more content! The rebellion continues and with it the death toll continues to rise. What sort of mission is in store for the Flock this time around? Read on and find out! Gotta say, world building is a lot of fun. Especially when it's in a favoured District of mine such as Eight. :)

* * *

 **ACT 2: THE LIBERATION**

 **Part 3: Bravery and Brutality**

* * *

It's not a long goodbye when the time comes for us to leave District Twelve behind, now under rebel control. I accept a hug from Madge and a handshake from Gale before I board the hovercraft, strapping myself into my seat. It seems all our work here is done, with plenty more to be done across the nation.

It's only a few minutes later when all the thanks are given and goodbyes are said that we realise we're missing somebody. Hopper has vanished, his empty seat particularly noticeable. I recall noticing that he had left during the night, but other than that I've got no clue.

Of all the times for him to pull a disappearing act...

"We can't leave without one of the flock," Finnick tells the pilot not far from my seat.

"If he's breaking protocol and deserting from the war then that's his own fault," the pilot says, cold. "It'll be up to President Coin if he is to be bought in or left to rot."

An argument seems set to break out any time, Boggs speaking up in Hopper's defence and quite loudly at that. Electra covers her ears from her seat beside Timm, mumbling from how much she hates the noise. We don't really get to do much else before, fashionably late it would seem, Hopper finally makes an appearance.

"Hey, don't go without me!" he calls as he jogs up, a bow and several arrows held within his hands. "Just had a little something personal to get done, that's all."

"Where were you, Private Vigo?" Boggs asks him.

"The forest outside the fence," Hopper says, giving a cheerful sort of shrug. "Timm and Urchin were out there too, so you know, I just had to get in on the latest trend. Anyway, I needed to get these."

"A bow and arrows?" Boggs says, curious. "Were they yours or something?"

"Me? Nah, Prim told me about these when we were in the training centre. They belonged to Katniss," Hopper tells him, looking carefully amongst the crowd of the citizens of Twelve. "Prim said that her dad made them before a mine accident, you know, killed him. ...Hey, Mrs Everdeen, you in the crowd? I can't see you."

A tired woman soon moves forth, her hair a pale sort of blond and her face wrinkled and full of pain. She's been through so much, Mrs Everdeen has, with one daughter dead and the other held prisoner by the Capitol.

Not for long if I've got anything to say about it. If I have my way, all the prisoners will go free soon enough. Ula and Prim leading the walk out of jail...

"For you, ma'am," Hopper says, politeness in his voice that I've not heard before. He even kneels, offering the bow and arrows like they were some sort of sacred treasures. "I think these should stay with you, Briony."

Briony Everdeen almost bursts into tears then and there. I watch, a small smile on my face, as she accepts the gift and gives Hopper and awkwardly angled hug.

"Thank you," she tells him. "Thank you, Hopper."

"No problem," he says, bowing before he boards the hovercraft with the rest of us. "I'll be home in a few weeks, everybody. Just gotta go save Panem first real quick. Take care."

As we lift off into the air District Twelve cheers loud and proud for Hopper, for myself, for Rue, for all of us who came to help them. The citizens, for once, look like a far cry from the depressed, broken crowd who show up for reaping recaps and the Peacekeepers who defected look a lot more friendly and dashing than the norm. They seem worthy of their name for once.

I try to relax as we fly along, the lack of sleep starting to strike me at the same time the weariness from yesterday's battle does. But I find it impossible to fall asleep. Not when later today we'll be landing in District Eight for the next part of the rebellion. What might our mission there be? I don't know and part of me feels afraid to know.

I'll just take it as it comes, same as usual. At least for now, all of my friends are alive... though for how much longer that may be, I don't know. Seeing how scared Timm looks, the way Electra seems so worried and how Valkri is still in pain from the wound she took during the battle of Twelve makes me see that we were very lucky none of us ended up dead.

"Are you alright Urchin?" Rue asks me from the seat to my right.

"I will be," I tell her. "Once the Capitol falls and Snow dies I will be."

I'm not sure what bothers me more. The way Rue seems worried by what I am saying, or the fact I know in my heart I am not exaggerating. After what Snow has done, there's no fate I deem too much for him. He can reap what he has fished for all I care.

* * *

 **(Later...)**

* * *

Much of the morning is spent getting medical check-ups. The equipment in Thirteen is far better than anything on the battlefield in Twelve, hence why I end up injected by around four or so syringes and made to swallow three different types of pills. I don't fight or complain, figuring that the less I struggle the faster the war can be won. Every second counts.

Valkri is given some intensive care after her wound, the doctor saying she'd unsure if Valkri will be fit to join us on the mission to District Eight. I overhear Valkri insisting, almost pleading, that she is fine but I doubt she can overrule them. I leave the medical wing the instant they give me the all clear.

As I dash down the hallways I find myself joined by Rue and Hopper. Running along side by side, we must look like a true unit of heroes.

Or, perhaps, just a few kids way in over their heads. Too late to back out now though, as if it was ever a choice.

"You both ok?" I ask them as we round a corner.

"I'd say so," Hopper replies. "Better than anybody in the tank your awesome girlfriend blew up. Woohoo!"

As much of a compliment as he surely means it, Rue doesn't respond well. She just looks away, grim faced.

"It's not right to celebrate death," she says, shaking her head. "Anyway, I'm fine. A few burn marks from that tank's explosion, but I'll live."

"How bad are the burns?" I ask, concerned. "Like, are you going to have trouble laying down or...?"

"Finnick spared me from the worst of it and his armour was stronger than mine, so he's mostly alright too," she tells me. "Just some scorches to my back and my left leg. They gave me a special lotion."

She takes a deep breath in and out as we slow down. Not long passes before she tells Hopper and I that she hates war, that people cannot just get along or settle things in ways without mass death tolls. I find myself agreeing with her and I think Hopper does too, but Hopper was always the most unscrupulous of the Flock and makes it known.

"Sometimes there's just no other choice then to fight fire with fire," he says. "Make them burn the way they want us to burn."

"Maybe you're right," Rue agrees. "But I still don't like it."

"I doubt any of us do," is what I tell her.

But I cannot deny that a small, ugly part of me does like it. I like the idea of getting the chance to go one on one with President Snow, nobody else there aside him and I, while I hold him down _and choke the life out of_...

I shake my head like a blur, disturbed. What was I just thinking? That's not me. That's not me.

"Meeting room?" I suggest to them. "Cressida should have the new propo ready to air soon, yeah? I'd say we go and check it out."

We agree, not speaking as we walk on down the halls. With the battle over and the adrenaline no longer fuelling us, it seems the thoughts of battle and what we both saw and did are really starting to effect us. I try not to think about. We're the good guys here, aren't we?

Though, even if we weren't, I know that I still prefer this side to the other side.

A scared mumble catches my attention as we move past a closet. Opening it reveals Electra, hunced over and shivering.

"Electra?" I say. "What're you doing in there?"

"I heard it... monster in the basement," she whispers. "Heard it again..."

"Wait, monster?" Hopper asks. "Remind me what that is again, like a mutt or something?"

"I don't know," I tell him. "Electra was hiding under my bed the other day, claiming that she heard a monster of some kind coming from the basement. Your guess is as good as mine to what it is."

"Perhaps we should check it out?" Hopper suggests. "What do we stand to lose if we do?"

"Our limbs?" Rue guesses. "Mutts are evil beings, Hopper. They exist to kill."

"Yeah, but Thirteen is surely not dumb enough to let it roam free," Hopper points out. "Why not go and see? It's probably nothing, so that way we can get Electra here to calm down."

I'm about to voice my agreement, but that's when Boggs comes along. He orders us to keep moving and for Electra to exit the 'off limits closet' because we're needed at the meeting.

We walk as one group behind him to our destination, but I cannot help but eye the basement door as we move past it. I can't help but feel a nasty tingle in my bones as I gaze upon it, wondering what Electra heard beyond it and if a mutt is truly there.

I freeze, as though I were dunked in cold ice, when I hear some kind of sound beyond it. Almost like a very distant wail...

"Keep moving," Boggs says, breaking me from my musings. "Coin won't want to be kept waiting. Big news today."

I obey, but my thoughts still remain on that old basement door.

* * *

 **(Not long after that...)**

* * *

I sit around a large table in the meeting room, finding myself between Magnus and Finnick. A quick assurance from both that they are fine gives me enough peace of mind – not much, really – to focus on what Coin tells us as she paces to and fro before us all. It's a surprise to me that she's smiling. I've hardly ever seen her smile and on the rare times I have it's never felt... real, you know?

Boggs was right though, Coin has big news, news that she tells us while footage of the battle in Twelve is played on screens around the room. Despite the death of Messalla during our time in Twelve my camera crew has been able to put together a grand, new propo without delay. It shows me blowing up the bridge and making it to the shore of the river, Rue blowing the tank up by throwing a grenade down the turret, Hopper causing all kinds of mayhem and vandalising a billboard... we're the screenhogs it seems. The others get airtime too with their acts of heroism, but it's mainly us this time. All while Coin narrates how the Capitol is a destructive virus and we're the antidote send to fight it off.

 _We're certainly one destructive antidote_ , I cannot help thinking as Valkri throws dynamite at a squad of Peacekeepers on screen, her injury being cut out.

"Things are going well," Coin says, seeming almost proud. "Twelve is firmly under rebel control. As it stands, the Districts have continued fighting and presently Ten is all but confirmed to be fully on our side. The last report detailed Peacekeepers running for their lives, chased by rebels on horseback."

"Two Districts out of Twelve already?" Magnus asks. "I knew we were good, but not _that_ good."

"It gets better, if you'll permit me to continue," Coin says. "Nine is still keeping up a good fight and likely will not need us in the area to assist them. The infernos in the grain fields and detonations in factories are doing the job fine as it is. One is with the Capitol and Two, while having rebel action sighted, is unlikely to fold. Of the rest, things are looking vicious and mixed, but I'm hopeful our assistance and the successes of the other Districts being broadcasted will keep things moving."

"So, what do we do next then?" Finnick asks. "We were told that our next destination is eight?"

"That is correct," Coin says. "You'll be moving out within the hour. Prior to then, mission briefing begins now."

Coin presses a button on a remote, making the table come alive with holograms. It's a moment before I recognise it as the layout of District Eight, or at least part of it. Memories flood me of my brief time in Eight drawing the Victory Tour and how colourless, even lifeless it all felt. All the smog and pollution.

I can't help but feel my heart ache when I think back to Lacey's death in the Feast back in that damn forest. She was a sweet person, one who never should've been in that horrid arena.

Then again, none of us should've been. Nobody but those as cruel as Snow himself.

"Your mission is as thus," Coin says, using her remote to make part of the map holographic glow brighter. "This is the hospital, where the rebels are tending to the wounded. It is under constant attack from Peacekeepers and hovercrafts. We're not so sure how much longer it will last without some serious back-up. Some of you shall be positioned here to keep the wounded alive and tended to, as well as defend from the ongoing attacks until they are stopped."

One extra click of the remote stops me from smouldering over the cruelty of attacking a hospital. I'm moreso distracted by how an area far from the hospital is now glowing brightly. The hologram shows a massive clock tower, one that towers over halfway towards the sky.

"The clock tower is the focus of this mission," Coin continues. "Peacekeepers are all over the place, having set up their main stronghold there. All sorts of shielding has been set up to prevent a straight up bombing from removing the problem. At the top of the clock tower numerous artillery cannons have been stocked up, able to fire on things from upwards of fifty miles away. Some amongst you will need to take it out, whether through outright destruction or somehow ridding the place of the Peacekeepers within."

Coin goes on to point out 'hot spots' of warfare activity we should avoid and highlights the drop-off points for the Hospital and Clock Tower groups, but my mind is distant and abuzz. A gigantic clock tower fortress... if hovercrafts cannot break past the defences, how is a squad of people on foot going to do so? It's like Magnus was saying... we're good, but not _that_ good.

Finnick has much the same issues as I do, asking how it's possible. Coin's response has me feeling ill.

We'll be going through the sewers, assuming the clock tower team is where I end up on.

"The sewers lead right into the lowest level of the clock tower," she tells us. "There may be resistance in the sewers, but far less than on the surface. Do your best to break through the Capitol's forces and, above all, keep inspiring people to fight for the cause. With every extra civilian who grabs a weapon and rises up the Capitol will grow ever weaker."

We're dismissed not long after that, most of us having our groups pre-decided for us and told as such by the tags we receive. It's only when I'm at the door that I'm called back by Coin. It's now that I realise I was never given any tags at all.

"Did you forget to give me my tags?" I ask her.

"I never forget anything," Coin says. "As the head of the Flock, you have yourself a special sort of choice to make. You can choose which group you'll be with."

I pause, torn between thought and being a little unnerved by that look in Coin's steel grey eyes. What's she thinking of as she stares at me? I try to push the thoughts away, more focused on choosing what I'll be doing in Eight.

Hospital or Clock Tower. A real choice that'll make my 'adventure' diverge in a big way. In some ways, it's like how Cato's choice to look away as I ran from the Cornucopia changed what my fate probably would have been.

The Hospital is getting bombed a lot, but I'll at least be behind cover and I can help the sick and wounded. Certainly something that I'd want to spend my time doing. Helping the innocent is the whole point of this rebellion. Then again, all it takes is one bombing to doom me and the rest...

The Clock Tower is sure to be guarded heavily, not to mention the sewer will be vile. But I'm starting to find myself getting used to dangerous missions with plenty of action. You could say that I'm developing the state of mind for it. It'll be tough, deadly even, but with me there it may end up going faster..."

The words leave my lips before I really think them over.

"Clock Tower," I tell Coin.

She hands over the tags in an instant, saying she assumed I would say that. With a final word or two of encouragement she sends me off on my way, but I don't feel done just yet. Surely the hovercraft can wait long enough for me to ask three questions on my mind.

"Have Tack, Nella and Zabrina woken up?" I ask, desperate. "Is Coral going to be let out of solitary confinement soon? Is there a monster in the basement? Electra says she heard one."

Coin just gives me a look, somewhere between firm and impatient. I find myself lightly shuffling somewhat, uneasy under her stare.

"In order..." she begins. "No, when I think she has learnt her lesson and obviously not. Now go, you're needed on the mission."

Coin moves over to the other rebel high-ups who won't be coming with us, paying me no more attention. Plutarch calls out something encouraging, but by then I'm already out the door and dashing off towards the hovercraft.

Time for the Flock to pay a visit towards Eight.

* * *

 **(Time passes...)**

* * *

Seated upon the hovercraft once more I awake from a short nap, glancing around at those coming on the mission for me. Plenty of burly, brave soldiers on both sides of the room... soldiers I feel bad for not knowing the names of. Then again, maybe that just makes it hurt me less when they die.

Across from me, of those I can name, are Rue and Hopper, seated between Magnus, Castor, Boggs and a Victor from District Seven – a man named Logger I think – with a tense look in their eyes. They've been drafted into the Hospital Squad.

Meanwhile those I can name on my side of the room are Finnick, Timm, Electra, Cressida, Pollux, and Boggs. We're all gonna be taking on that tough clock tower, or die trying. I don't plan for us to die, not yet.

Valkri remained back in Thirteen, not yet cleared of her injuries. She protested, loud and furious, but she was kept back regardless. They said she'd be no use injured or dead and I find myself unable to disagree. One can only hope she'll be deemed fit for the next mission, because I don't like the thought of keeping her stuck in a hospital bed. Not when she's desperate to be there for District Two and save her mother and Minnie.

"Did I miss much?" I ask Timm.

He shakes his head, pale faced. He speaks after several deep breathes, telling me he's not ready for this and to curse himself as a coward. I take his hand, squeezing it tight.

"We're in this together," I tell him. "I've got your back, Timm. But, do you have mine too?"

"...Yes," he manages to say, shuddering.

"Team effort," Electra adds, moving over to give Timm a hug. "I have your back... not letting it go."

It's not much, but it does stop Timm from crying or breaking into a full panic. I'll take whatever little amounts of progress we can get. Anything to give us a slightly better chance in the mission ahead. It's something I learnt in the arenas I was in; even the tiniest improvement can be vital towards survival.

Not much is said until District Eight is mere miles away from us. As Boggs gets up to stretch his legs and address about our mission the TV screen at the front end of the room flickers into life, the Capitol seal shown for all.

"Must be a mandatory broadcast," Boggs says, guarded. "Stay sharp, soldiers. Watch it if you want, but don't let it distract you from your mission. The faster we finish things up in Eight, the faster these kinds of broadcasts can be done with for good."

I try to keep this in mind as the image comes into focus, President Snow's snake-like face filling the screen. I feel my temper already starting to rise at the mere sight of him.

" _Good afternoon Panem_ ," Snow says, seated at his desk. The way he presents himself like some friendly grandpa has me about ready to spit. " _Since we last spoke, rebel activity has continued. The terrorists insist upon trying to fracture our dear nation. Rest assured, sooner rather than later they will fail. Nothing can overcome the might and wisdom of the Capitol. Citizens within the Capitol, you are all safe and sound, all very well protected. Citizens of the District, the same will be true for you if you drop your weapon, remain indoors and, a bonus, turn in any rebels you know of or simply a lead for us to follow. Do your civic duty_."

As he pauses to sip from a glass of wine images appear behind him as Panem's most wanted. As expected, a picture of me is first on the list. The serious look in my eyes almost makes me look like some kind of thug... exactly what they want. Picture of the rest of the flock follow on after my own mugshot, with a picture of Finnick joining soon after. Beside me, Finnick shakes his head and scoffs like he's offended.

"I can't believe this," he mutters, his arms crossed.

"What, that you're considered most wanted?" I ask him, confused.

"Weren't you always most wanted by the Capitol even before this war?" Magnus asks him.

Finnicks snorts. I don't get to ask what Magnus means, exactly, before he continues with a gesture to the screen.

"It's not that," he says. "It's just... they never get my nose right when they show a picture of me on TV. Look at it, they have it all bent!"

Not a chance is given for one of us to call Finnick's priorities a bit skewed before Snow finishes his wine. He looks at the camera, firm and fearless.

" _You have a chance to surrender, Urchin_ ," he says. " _The option is always there for you, and your allies, to submit to the Capitol and end the war. The more you resist, the more people die every day. I know you more than you think I do; I know that death is not what you wish upon the population and that it's starting to mess with you a bit. While you think on that, I'd like to show the nation what happens when you resort to terrorism. A person we once thought as a beloved member of our own community was found guilty of treason most high. What comes next is a sore loss, but a necessary one_."

I tense as the screen changes, wondering what he is going to show next. Of course, I don't need to wonder for long. It's surely an execution that he's leading into. Why else would he word it in such a way? Treason tends to only lead to one outcome when one is under the custody of the Capitol. Well, two outcomes, but I doubt we're gonna be seeing an avox.

I pale, cold sweat starting to trickle down my face when sweet, old Mags is shown on screen. She has her head held high, no fear in her eyes. She's proud. A far cry from the way Finnick is rapidly whispering in despair while I'm about ready to cry right now.

"Mags Flanagan, you've been found guilty of treasonous crimes against the Capitol. For this, you're sentenced to execution, to be carried out right away. Do you have any last words?" a gruff voice asks.

Both Finnick and I can't hold back the quiet sobs over the sight of Four's eldest remaining Victor being moments from death. Mags, however, just gives the camera a nod and a steely, fearless smile.

" _Finnick, Urchin_?" she says, looking right at the camera. Right at us. " _Give them hell, you can win this. You_ -."

She gets no further before a hail of bullets are fired at her, long after she has stopped twitching.

I vomit, reduced to a pitiful sort of moaning. Finnick doesn't bother to hold back his tears, weeping for the women who he says practically raised him... and, to a degree, my own mother. Everybody is shouting or crying in some way after the display we just saw. I think I'm gonna faint, honestly...

The broadcast has continued. I don't catch what it is Snow says before the screen changes once again. I fear that I'll be forced to see Ron executed next, but... in at least some ways, it's worse.

It's another interview with Prim and Ula. They sit side by side, a rather nasty purple bruise on Prim's forehead and Ula looking like she's recently been sick, while Iris and Lucia stand right behind them. Iris takes notes, her sniper eye as creepy as ever, while Lucia just cackles every so often. It's even more horrifying than any mutt I've ever seen, even the Groaners and Air Screamers.

To his credit, Caesar seems to feel much the same as me. His ever present smile is there, obviously forced, but it seems like he's lost so much sleep lately that even his make up artists could not hide it. He holds back a yawn as he looks at the camera.

" _It's a very testing time for us all_ ," he says, lightly slapping himself to try and stay awake. " _In light of all the... recent events, I'm here with another very special interview. Joining me this afternoon are Primrose Everdeen of the recent Quarter Quell and Ula Hook, a delightful young resident of the... District that requires maintenance, District Four_."

" _Hello Caesar_ ," Prim says, tired.

" _Can I go home please, Mr Flicker_..." Ula mumbles.

" _In due time, Ula_ ," Caesar says, gently. " _Now, how have you been since we last spoke, Ula_?"

" _Lonely_ ," says my sister. I lean forwards, my tear stained eyes staring at her. " _I want Urchin and mommy and daddy, please. These women keep poking me and giving me funny pills. It makes me itch_. I feel sick and I can't walk properly anymore."

I miss most of what Ula says, too busy having a freak out from the mention of pills and her inability to use her legs. What was in those things?! Why is Ula claiming she is 'itchy'?! Did those monsters cripple her?! I'm almost frothing at the mouth, shouting and screaming for them to get away from her. Every chuckle from Lucia, every note Iris makes, it all adds up towards making me feel like I'm losing it.

Timm shakes me, babbling something beyond my hearing. By the time I come 'back to Panem' Ula is being taken away by Iris and Lucia. I feel broken, staring blankly as once again what little I have of Ula is yanked away from me.

" _So Prim, if you've not been told it by now, allow me to bring you up to speed_ ," Caesar says, carefully. " _Twelve has fallen to the rebels_."

" _I hope the rest of the Districts fall to them as well_ ," she says, firm. She's looking far braver, far more mature than I ever saw when she was alongside me several weeks ago. " _You can keep punching me, keep starving me, but I won't give up and neither will Urchin and the Flock! The Capitol will fall, Snow, it will fall_!"

Somebody yells for them to cut and the sounds of armed men moving forwards fills my ears. The footage cuts out hardly moments after that, but not fast enough to stop her last cry to us.

" _The security code is Veronica_!" she screams.

The screen goes blank, the Capitol seal shown once again. All of us in the hovercraft are rattled and pale faced after that. I'm shivering, but a fire is alight within me. The suffering and horrible sights are mentally painful to see, certainly... but with victory in this war, it'll all finally end. My resolve to fight isn't broken yet. I'll storm the Capitol, I'll march up to that mansion, _**I'll kill anybody who gets in my way and**_...

I'm broken from my thoughts by Rue. She shakes me, snapping her fingers, worried as can be. I blink, suddenly bought down from a vicious high. It's a few deep breathes before I understand what she's asking me.

"Are you ok?" she asks me, softly.

"No," is all I manage to say. "But... I'm still gonna keep going anyway."

Boggs phones in a message to Thirteen, repeating the security code that Prim told everybody, ordering them to have Beetee make use of it before they change it to something else. It's no long after that when we reach the first drop off. The one for the Hospital Squad.

"Be safe, ok?" I say to Rue as she gets herself suited up for the looming HALO jump.

"I will," she says. "You too, ok? Deep breathes, happy thoughts... don't lose yourself, Urchin."

One hug and a brief peck on the cheek is all we have time for before she and her team are ready to go. One final look towards me and she follows Hopper's lead, leaping out the back of the Hovercraft to the ground below.

It's hard to stop myself from thinking about the fall we took to Twelve and how several of us did not even make it to the ground alive. Don't let Rue meet that fate, please...

"Twenty minutes and we'll reach our drop off point," Boggs tells us. "May as well suit up now and save some time once we're there."

We do as he orders us. Though Finnick and I work slowly, almost like the zombies from that one Hunger Games years and years ago. Mags is dead.

She's dead...

It's bad enough losing such a sweet old lady, but Timm's trembling and Electra being teary eyed from all the noise worsens it. We may even die today.

No, I refuse to let Mags down like that. If I do die, I'm gonna die meaningfully and succeed at _taking a bunch of those twisted monsters with me_...

I pause to take a few deep breathes, hoping the dark thoughts will leave my head soon enough.

* * *

 **(Not much later)**

* * *

After the issues with landing back in Twelve, we did things a bit differently this time to prevent the pile-up that befell us yesterday. I was strapped to Finnick, Timm to Boggs and Electra to Cressida. It was deemed safe and efficient.

Falling from the sky with shots fired all around us, absolute chaos going on down below, I'm not really feeling the safe part.

"How much longer until we reach the ground?" I yell over the gunfire and wind around us.

"About a minute!" Finnick yells back.

It's all I can do to not think about the broadcast; I'd not want to be sick and hit myself in the face with my own vomit.

To my left Electra squeals and to my right Timm screams. I try to keep silent, having already gotten a lot of screaming done on board the hovercraft. I try to focus on the ground, moreso what it looks like than all the signs of battles going on.

It's urban, a large sprawling sort of city as far as I can see. Massive apartment buildings are packed together like fish crammed into a can, large factories stand tall as they billow out smoke and in some cases fire... it's such a polluted and depressing sort of place.

And there, at the heart of all the fighting, is the clock tower. As massive as I'd expected, more or less. Fighting our way in is going to be a big problem, but fighting our way to the very, very top of the clock tower? That may be an even bigger issue and not just because of all the Peacekeepers in there.

Just think of those stairs. The endless stairs.

"Pull your cords!" Boggs yells. "Landing zone is right below us!"

Finnick obeys as do all the others with control of the parachute. Before long we're coming in for a swift descent to the courtyard of what looks like the ruins of some sort of school. No children out to play here, only a recess of blood going on.

Electra gags, covering her eyes at what she sees. Timm lets her hide her face against his chest, and frankly I do not blame her at all.

It's a massacre. Upwards of sixty Peacekeepers lay around covered in stab wounds. Whoever did this must have been brutally powerful, or perhaps it was a squad of rebels. I'd say that's likely. As we start to move out of the courtyard, unable to look away from the numerous mangled bodies laying around, my gaze comes to rest on two bodies off to the side that lack the peacekeeper uniform or any stab wounds.

"Oh no..." I whisper, shaking my head at the sight. "So young. So... messy... urp..."

I hold back my vomit, barely, as I take a careful look at the two bodies. I'd guess maybe they're about fourteen and clearly they were identical twins... other than that, I have no idea. The thick, crimson blood makes any further details of the corpses impossible to make out, from their clothes to their hair. All I can really tell is they have their hair put into pigtails.

A second glance makes me realise the pair are sharing an embrace and each hold a sharp knife, caked in blood and a bit bent from over usage.

"Holy shit," I mutter, my mind wandering. "Did these two... all of those bodies..."

"Think they killed them?" Timm asks as he nervously moves beside me.

"Maybe?" I say, unsure either way. "But they're hardly older than us... how?"

"...Same way you killed Cato? Being smart and skilled?" Timm suggests, awkward.

'

I'd call it more luck than skill, but maybe he's right. I figure it doesn't matter as they're dead regardless and Timm claims no knowledge of whoever they were. We soon leave with the rest of the squad, the corpses of the twins and the Peacekeepers left behind.

I finally let myself puke again the moment I see a trash can spew into.

* * *

 **(Later...)**

* * *

The streets around the school are empty. Empty of the living, at least. Bodies lay here and there, whether Peacekeeper, rebel or civilian. It's a nightmare, and one full of blood.

Timm walks beside me, shaking madly. His normally pale face has become pure white at the sight of what's become of his District. I can't find the words in me to press him about how he feels; there's only so many times you can say 'are you ok' to people before you know that they're just gonna say no.

"Do you want... hug?" Electra asks, sticking close to Timm.

"It wouldn't help," Timm says, quietly. "Look at this... just... look. My home's a wreck; you can hear the screaming in the distance, right? And...and we're in the thick of it!"

"We'll be at our destination soon," Boggs assures him.

"That's the part that scares me the most," Timm says, shivering. "We're going to where the worst of the fighting is happening!"

Timm starts to take deep, rapid breaths and almost chokes on the air. Electra moves in for a hug, not that it does any good. As Timm's panic attack continues I feel my walkie talkie buzzing.

"What's up?" I say as I lift the device to my ear. "Urchin of Clock Tower Squad here, over."

" _Just me, Urchin_ ," Rue says from miles and miles away. Relief fills me, knowing she's made it to the ground safely. " _I wanted to check if all of your squad made it to the ground ok_? _Mine all made it_."

"Yeah, we're all still alive... for now," I pause to take a deep breath. "Landing zone was a massacre. I'll explain it in-person, but it has me feeling sick. We're getting close to our destination, according to Boggs. How's the hospital?"

" _Depressing_ ," Rue says. I hear a distant yell and an explosion on her side of the call. " _They need me to tend to a few wounded children Urchin. I'll call again soon enough; stay alive, please_!"

Just like that, she's gone again. But at least I know she's alive. I wonder how long our squad will be able to say the same thing. Especially with Timm being in a state of panic, one growing worse as the gunfire keeps going on.

Boggs ends up having to carry Timm along, a hand over his mouth to prevent his screaming from giving us away. It's impossible to miss the shame in the eyes of the boy from Eight. After our encounter outside of Twelve last night and now this, how much must his lack of bravery be eating him up inside?

"Not far now," Boggs says. "Just a few streets until the safe house."

It all happens so fast. One moment our squad is running along the street, the next moment a gunshot rings out through the air and one of the soldiers collapses, dead before he's even hit the ground.

"Get down!" Boggs yells, making us all duck and cover behind a wrecked car. It's a tight fit, certainly.

From the far side of the street is a Peacekeeper holding what looks like a sniper rifle. One shot and, boom, we'll be dead. He's got us in his sights, ready to fire the instant that we move from our cover. Could we even fire off a shot towards him in time, one that would take him out? He's clearly armoured quite well.

"Surrender!" the sniper barks at us. "Now!"

We have no plans to listen to him, though we've got no plans to take him out. We're stuck alright, every passing moment giving the rest of the Capitol's forces a chance to close in on us. I run my hands through my curls, hoping for a stroke of genius to strike me. Alas, nothing. Not a damn thing.

Another gunshot is fired, taking out a soldier who had chanced taking a brief look outside of our cover. The rest of us are all the more on edge from it; many of us shiver, I wheeze, Timm babbles and sobs while Electra is in tears. Come on, think...

"If we run in two ways he'd not be able to take us all on at once. Some of us would reach him," Finnick says, slowly.

"Too risky," I tell him. "Nobody needs to die here."

"Many of us are willing to due to make sure you, and the rebellion, succeed," Boggs says, firm. "I am."

"I... well... it shouldn't have to be that way," I tell him after much stammering. "Timm, you're from Eight, any ideas what we can do or where we can flee?"

"I... I..." he can barely even breath, sick with fear.

"Bad guys... coming..." Electra says, pointing.

She's right. More Peacekeepers are joining their sniper companion, each armed with similar equipment. Like him, they order us to surrender.

"I led them here with my crying..." Timm chokes out. "All me..."

"That won't matter if we can think of a way out of this," Boggs tells him. "Everybody, grenades!"

We throw the few grenades we have, hoping that our aim is decent. Explosions and cries ring out, but at best we got just a few of them. Plenty remain and by the sounds of it they're starting to get closer. Gunfire hits the other side of the car, blocked off for now. But I know as well as the others that this car will not hold forever.

"Smoke bombs?" I suggest weakly.

"Fresh out," Finnick says, shaking his head. "Seems all we have us the gear we have, this car and those trash cans."

"Trash cans... hiding place...?" Electra adds, mumbling.

Timm doesn't waste his chance. He moves to an empty trash can and quickly slots himself into it, moving the bin so that it's upside down and able to cover him from sight. A small hole inside of it reveals only the tiniest trace of his trembling form.

Electra moves to the trash cans next while the rest of it ready ourselves for a savage, close range gunfight once the Peacekeepers get close enough to us. Won't be long now surely. But that plan goes out of the window when Boggs' eyes widen, panicked.

"Watch out!" he shouts, lunging to the side.

One moment he's moving through the air like some kind of an action hero in those videos Gill used to watch when he was alive. Next moment he lays bleeding badly on the ground, having taken a bullet to his chest that was meant for Electra.

The Peacekeepers move over quickly after that, surrounding us. By reflex, we raise our hands but they don't care to show mercy. One bullet and Pollux joins Boggs on the ground, the friendly Avox man slain in an instant.

Castor never even got to say goodbye to his twin.

Tears burn in our eyes, but fear burns a whole lot more as the six Peacekeepers point their guns at us once three soldiers have been downed. My heart sinks, my bones itching with terror at the thought of us having failed so soon into the war.

"Take them to President Snow," one man tells the rest. "He'll want to make an example of them."

As they slam us down, ready to tie us up, the same man moves to grab Electra and hold her up by her arm. She cries, protesting the painful way she's being held but the man in uniform cares little.

"This one might be a good hostage. I think her brother has been causing us a lot of problems in Five," he tells his men. "I think it's time to make sure his morale is gone and he comes in quietly."

One moment Electra's cries are the only sound that fill the broken street. The next moment a gunshot and the pained cries of the Peacekeeper join the noise. The man falls with a bullet to the neck, death claiming him fast.

The other five aim around, having no idea where the shot came from. Laid on the ground as I am with a Peacekeeper's boot on my back I cannot claim to have any idea either. Just that it was extremely close.

Two more gunshots fire out and two more of the Peacekeepers fall. A fourth follows a couple of seconds later.

"Where's the gunner?!" one of the men in white yells, aiming around wildly, shooting randomly.

"Rooftops!" the other yells.

The next gunshot comes from so close to me, clearly not from a rooftop. The last Peacekeeper by this point has had enough. He casts us one hateful look and, in fear, runs for his life down the street, weaving left and right to try and make himself a tough target for the unknown gunner.

Timm throws the bin off of himself. He breathes deeply, in a clear fit of adrenaline and near madness, aims his pistol at the fleeing man. Of course, the hole in the bin, it gave him the perfect cover and means to shoot at the squad!

The gunshot rings out and the man falls, dead.

While Electra shakily embraces Timm, calling him her hero, I join Finnick as he kneels beside Boggs. The blood is filthy, spreading everywhere. It stains the asphalt awfully. Boggs isn't going to make it and one look at him as he weakly gazes at us confirms it to me.

"Keep going..." he wheezes. "Two streets north... green warehouse... Coral is..."

He gets no further. It says something about how conditioned I've become when I expect to hear a cannon, but no... only the silence of death.

But, what was he going to say about Coral? Is she in danger? I get no answer of course, only the nasty feeling of being left in the dark, as Boggs is already dead. He knew something though, something. A thing that he tried to tell me as it died... it's not hard to think that he knows a secret about Coral.

I can't help wondering who else may know it. A glance around, though, tells me that my squad is oblivious. Cressida kneels beside Pollux, softly sobbing over the death of her friend. Just like that, half of my film crew has been wiped out in under fifty hours.

Life feels so cheap sometimes. Easy to come, easy to go...

"Come on," Timm says, swallowing hard. He shakes, but holds it together enough to keep a steady enough arm around Electra. "Let's keep moving, Boggs said we didn't have far to go."

We do as Timm suggests, running through the wrecked streets of District Eight with thoughts of pointless, painful death weighing down on us. True to Boggs' word, the safe house isn't far away. A green warehouse lays dormant and, according to our fallen squad leader, is safe. I'm not sure if I can honestly say I believe that, but it'll have to do.

"Quick!" Finnick orders us as an explosion goes off a few streets away. "Head for the warehouse!"

* * *

 **(Time passes...)**

* * *

It's close to midnight when I find myself sitting atop a large stacks of crates that stop just shy of touching the roof. We were let into the warehouse by several rebels in the area, some of whom were a few defectors from the Capitol's army. After the earlier scare, I cannot stop myself feeling unnerved at the sight of the men in white uniforms.

They promised us shelter for the night and a chance to prepare for the main mission tomorrow. For most of us, that means sleeping. The soldiers rest in shifts, Finnicks sleeps quietly in a sleeping bag off at the side while Timm and Electra... actually, I don't see them.

I look around, soon spotting them sitting on their own stack of crates. It's a bit of a hazardous trek to reach them, but all the action I've been in is giving me some skill at parkour. I soon make my way over, seating myself silently beside Timm. He gives me a silent, brief nod while Electra just sniffles as she lays her head upon his shoulder.

"How are you guys hanging in there?" I ask him.

"Trying to come to terms with the fact I killed a few men and... don't feel bad," Timm says, uncertain. "I'm a poet, not a fighter... and I still killed them."

"...It gets easier," I say, grim. "It's always worst the first time you do it."

"I guess I forgot I've been hanging around with killers," he says, gazing at the metallic ceiling.

"I think by now all of us besides Electra, and maybe Prim, have committed murder," I tell him, calm. It's scary, really, how I can say it all with a straight face. "It's war."

"Sure is... good people died today," Timm says, haunted. "If I'd not freaked out... if I'd not slowed us down... Boggs and Pollux might..."

He trails off, covering his face as he groans.

"This is messing with me Urchin," he whispers.

"Just remember, you saved most of us when it truly counted," I say, not so sure if this will help. "You did some good today. You showed courage."

"But I was terrified," he says, shaking his head.

"Well, isn't that courage? To feel scared and still do what has to be done to save the day?" I reply, patting him on the back. "I think you proved yourself as far more than a 'coward', Timm."

Timm is silent, thinking this over. His smile is perhaps the tiniest, weakest one I have ever seen but it still fills me with warmth of some sort to see it anyway. Electra, too, smiles as she hugs her best friend amongst the Flock.

"My hero..." she mumbles. "I'm no hero... you're a hero... great hero."

"What do you mean, Electra?" Timm asks, holding her a little closer. "You've always been tougher than me."

Electra shakes her head, frowning. It's a strange sight indeed to see my friend whom tends to always be either smiling or whimpering instead looking bitter. It's a look that doesn't suit her.

"Always need saving, always... helpless," she says, hanging her head. "Not useless, not broken, I can... um... do... things? Can do things. I, um... always need mommy, daddy, brother to help me. Need Timm and Isaak. Never trusted to stand alone... weak."

Electra doesn't stick around after that. She carefully climbs herself down the side of the crate stack and slots into a crevice along the way, hidden from sight. Neither Timm nor I follow, knowing she wants to be alone for a bit.

"Think we have a chance at the clock tower?" Timm eventually whispers.

"We'll have to," I say, simply. "We just have to."

Another silence passes by, the pair of us on our backs as we stare blankly above us.

"Are we anywhere near your house?" I ask after a while. "Perhaps near your family... you have family, right?"

"I do," Timm says, longing. "My parents and my big sister Bobbin. I have no idea where they are; we don't live in this part of Eight. They may even be dead... and if they are..."

"...Then what?" I dare to ask.

"I don't know," he says, lost. "I don't know, Urchin. ...Well, I know one thing. I did something right today. I didn't think, I just acted as soon as you were all in danger... I hesitated and Pollux died, but I saved the rest of you... am I making any sense? I don't know what to think."

"It seems like you've taken your first step to becoming a true rebel," I tell him. "A step that brings all of us closure to saving the hostages and overthrowing the Capitol at last."

Timm is silent. I hesitate, but find it in me to continue.

"It's your home we're in now, Timm," I say to him. "You can be a hero for your people. You're the member of the Flock the people of Eight want to see. I know it's been hard, holy _shit_ I know it has been and still will be for a long time... but this is your home. It's your stage to shine on, if that makes sense?"

"I guess so... I became a hero, it makes Eight fight harder for the rebellion?" he asks, curious.

"Something like that. All of us in the Flock come from a different District... I mean, not Prim and Hopper, but..." I trail off, thinking a prayer for my captive friend. "My District is gone, but Hopper sure inspired Twelve. Maybe if all of us can inspire and unite our own Districts it'll make all of them unite, help the rebels..."

I trail off, feeling like I'm just just rambling. Timm, though, nods thoughtfully.

"I think I see what you're saying," he says, hands running through his hair. "If I live long enough to survive our time here and get back to Thirteen I may even have an idea in mind for a propo. I can picture it already..."

"Be the hero you are inside," I tell him, patting him on the shoulder. "Electra can too. She says she's helpless, weak even... I don't think she is, not really. She scored a two, so clearly she can do _something_."

"Electra's a lot more than she seems," Timm tells me, brightening up. "You weren't there for it, but Isaak had us three sneak down to the training centre at night for extra training, right?"

"Right?" I say, uneasy at the image of the first boy I killed in the Quell.

"Well, while we were training Electra found a few spare parts some staff member must have left around and made a working tazer just like _that_ ," he says, snapping his fingers. "She's not weak, or stupid... she just has autism, nothing more. She's wonderful and... and..."

He trails off, looking to the side. His mumbling is so rapid I cannot even hope to understand a word of it.

"Point is, she's not helpless and I think... maybe she can get her chance to show that soon?" he says, laying back down.

"Maybe she will," I agree. "...She's your Rue, huh?"

"What do you mean by that?" Timm asks, though if you ask me I think he may already know.

"Well... Rue makes me happy inside, makes me feel less alone, just... she's there for me and I'm there for her. Feelings and that kind of chowder, y'know?" I say, awkwardly chuckling. Amazing, we're talking about this all the war and death, it's bizarre. "Electra makes you feel like that, right?"

"...She does," Timm says, quietly.

Timm doesn't talk after that, laying down facing away from me. I leave him to it, soon returning to my own stack of crates to try and get some sleep before the mission tomorrow. Several of us died on the way to the safe house. It's likely more will die during the mission into the Clock Tower.

I know all too well that I won't be sleeping well tonight. I just hope Rue is having a better night than what I'm in for.

* * *

There we go, part of the journey in District Eight. Quite the gruesome display of mayhem and war already, wouldn't you agree? Naturally, more action and blood is soon to follow. One can only hope that not much of it will come from the Flock, right? With the gang split up, Urchin backed up by comparatively less powerful rebels Timm and Electra and a heavily guarded Clock Tower in their future what might happen next? Stay tuned to find out!


	7. Act 2-4: Below and Beyond

**Disclaimer:** I do not own The Hunger Games.

 **Note:** The war continues! Not really got much to say about this one except that District Eight continues to be one of my favoured Districts and a great place to set the action that continues to explode over and over. One can only hope the Districts we have yet to see shall be just as satisfying to write and, hopefully, read. Not much else to delve into this time, so let's begin.

* * *

 **ACT 2: THE LIBERATION**

 **Part 4: Below and Beyond**

* * *

We're out of the warehouse before dawn has properly arrived. Nobody slept well, but after spending over two combined weeks in Hunger Games arenas I can say that I have slept in worse places than on warehouse crates.

The battles are still raging on. Plenty of distant cries, nasty roars that don't sound human, explosives dropped by hovercrafts on both sides... it's a mess. I'm left wondering what might be left of Eight by the time the fighting is finally over. Perhaps as little as Snow once I _**get my hands on him**_...

...Anyway, the loss of Boggs and Pollux has not gone unfelt. Not just by my friends and allies, but by the Capitol too. They must have found their bodies because they've been broadcasting images of the two fallen men for hours, grandly speaking of the how they 'defeated two dangerous terrorists'.

It's not terrorism if we're fighting to free people and spare them from the Capitol's awful cruelty! Snow has it all backwards and I just hope that people see that. If nothing else, the people of Eight are not giving up.

I walk with the group in the direction of the sewer entrance. Apparently a lot of the other entrances are either deep in the battlegrounds or have been made impossible to access due to debris. Lucky for us, one isn't far and apparently it's the most direct route to the Clock Tower that there is. I mean, aside taking the streets, but... that's not a good idea.

As I walk beside Finnick I hold my walkie-talkie close, talking to Rue. She's tired, sounds like she's as depressed as I am and I get the sense she may have gotten a new scrape or burn... but, just like me, she's survived to another day.

" _We saw all the broadcasts_ ," she says. " _They're really rubbing in how they killed two brave men_."

"I'm worried, Rue. Boggs was such a born leader; without him my team is really going to be in trouble," I tell her, shuddering. "And Pollux... is Castor alright?"

" _About as much as you could expect_ ," Rue replies, softly sighing. " _He's broken right now_."

"...Do you mean emotionally or that his body is broken to bits?" I ask, hardly daring to get the words out.

" _He's alive_ ," Rue assures me. " _But he's not feeling good. Neither is Hopper_."

"Hopper? What's wrong with him?" I ask after a brief pause. "Is he... missing a limb?"

" _No, the bombs never landed near him_ ," Rue says. I don't miss hearing the way she shudders. " _But you know he was close to Boggs, don't you? How Boggs was the one to give Hopper a sense of purpose, some direction, some... I guess inspiration to be a good soldier? ...He cried, Urchin. Hopper never cries_."

I can't hide my shock at this. Hopper's been just about the bravest among us in this war, perhaps due to how he's got nothing to lose and has no fear of death at all. To hear of him crying over the war and the death of a man he's, really, not known long... it leaves me surprised.

Maybe my friend has always been more emotional than I'd believed at first. Perhaps I underestimated his emotional side, one often overshadowed by his bravery or chaotic mood.

"Well, can he still fight? Can he still add to your team?" I ask. "Rue, what's it like?"

" _Hopper is still himself, just... kinda not_? _He's sad_ ," she tells me. " _We're hanging in here, but we need the bombing to stop. We've already lost over a dozen patients_."

My heart aches as Rue sobs, muttering about the death and violence she's seen. It's all horrible stuff. I listen to her every word, wondering how I may be able to calm her down, though I hardly expect to be able to when I'm never calm anymore these days. Never ever.

"My team will do what we can to put a stop to all of the bombings," I assure her, though I'm hardly assured myself. "We're gonna be entering the sewers shortly and from there... well, wish us luck."

" _Panem bless_ ," Rue says, an explosion ringing out a moment after. " _Talk soon Urchin, the people need me. If anything bad happens, call me up. Even if all I have to give are words, I'll try my best to help_."

"Thanks Rue. Love you," I whisper, my hands shaking as I clutch the walkie talkie close.

" _Love you too_ ," she whispers, soon hanging up.

It's not long after our contact is broken, for now at least, that we come to the sewer entrance. At the base of the riverbank, one with no water and only a shallow trickle of foul smelling blood flowing along ever so slowly, is a tunnel.

Apparently, the old stone tunnel will lead us into the Clock Tower miles away. The only thing is... what will we find in the tunnels between now and then? I've heard rumours from Dory over the years before she...

...Anyway... she said a few times that alligators live in the sewers. I used to just say she was being silly, but now that a massive sewer system looms ahead of me I suddenly don't feel so sure anymore. What if she was right all along? Finnick once told me of an older Hunger Games that took place in the sewers and had alligator mutts swimming around.

I try not to think about it, following behind Finnick into the sewers. The last thing I want to do right now, besides dying horrible, is jinxing it.

Then again, the latter would probably lead to the former.

"Smelly..." Electra gags, wafting the air around her.

"It's about to get worse," I tell her as we follow the soldiers into the sewer. "Try not to breath too deeply."

* * *

 **(Some time of gross sewer exploration later...)**

* * *

I used to think that the unsung heroes of Panem were the rescue squads who went out to save fishermen whose boats capsized... and, well, I still believe that. But now, I'm starting to see that there is a new kind of unsung hero as well that really deserves a lot more credit than they get.

Sewer workers. Anybody who can put up with this horrible smell deserves a medal, at _least_.

For some time now we've been trekking through the sewer system and the lack of gas masks is more apparent by the moment. Seems like they were not deemed 'necessary' so we're forced to bear the brunt of the terrible sewer and its contents. In the large stone tunnel a nasty pool of foulness I can't imagine – or, perhaps, I just really do not want to – flows along at my feet. From above droplets of slime and sewage trickle down bit by bit... the whole place smells like some unholy combination of dead fish, toxic eggs and muttation blood.

I wish I'd just picked the damn Hospital.

"It could be worse," Timm says from beside me. "We could be-."

"Don't say it," I tell him, shaking my head. "If you tempt fate, something bad is going to happen."

"That seems a little superstitious," Timm says, scratching his head.

"You think that's bad?" I say, weakly chuckling. "In the Quell there was this time where Hopper said he wanted me to be his human shield. I asked why and he said, more or less quoting here, that he believes I cannot die due to being the 'main character' and that if I stand between him and danger then he'll be unable to get hurt."

"...Ok, that's not superstitious, that's just insane," Timm says, looking about as confused as a breathless fish. "How does he figure that you can't die?"

"Neptune only knows," I say, shrugging.

We don't talk much after that, just continued through the sewer in silent... save for the occasional cough, retch or curse when we step in something particularly foul. The soldiers are silent, letting Finnick lead us through the filth. I ask if Finnick knows the way and he says he's using Boggs' PDA, a device that has a map of the sewers, to guide us. I don't question this, just being glad for the convenience.

A massive rumbling gets us all on alert, the possibility of bombing above us, a cave-in or both being at the front of our minds. Timm moves to hold Electra while I find myself inching closer towards Finnick. Guns are raises and ears are perked, all wary for what that rumble was.

Probably caused by the thing that just roared from somewhere ahead.

"Stay sharp," Finnick tells us. "Probably a mutt. Just remember, despite their power, mutts all have a common weakness."

"What might that be?" one of the soldiers asks, pumping his shotgun.

"Bullets," Finnick says, smirking.

"...This thing uses shells," the soldier says.

"Look, just shoot at anything that isn't human," Finnick says, shaking his head. "And, if it is a human, hold fire only if they are not in Peacekeeper uniform."

The soldiers don't argue it and neither do I. Based on the roar and rumbles it seems to me that shooting whatever is causing that is the best plan we have. The past shows I'm not bad at killing mutts, or at least evading them.

But it must be a big one. I can't help but shiver, wondering what may be lurking ahead. Could it be anything as bad as the Glimmer Snowmen from the Quell's arena? I'm not gonna assume we may be able to get through without encountering it. Since when have I ever been so lucky?

One we go through the tunnels, the distant rumbling getting louder and quieter without any kind of pattern. The mutt must be erratic in how it moves. Maybe it's hunting us right now...

The stone tunnels soon open to a metal walkway. Below us is another tunnel, one that looks knee deep in foul liquids. Lucky for us, the walkways lead further down the tunnel, preventing the need for us to go below. As we slowly make our way across the walkways Finnick looks over the PDA.

"Not far now," he says, relieved. "About three miles north and we'll be right under the clock tower. From there... good luck men."

Electa pouts, huffing just a bit.

"Oh, and Electra," Finnick adds, amused.

Electra smiles, lightly clapping as she walks beside me at the back of the group. It's not hard to miss the pale green in her cheeks though.

"Not liking it down here?" I ask her. "Me neither."

"So gross. Smells like... um, rancid flesh? Really bad," she mumbles, a hand pinching her nose as she makes a face, sticking her tongue out. "Bleh."

"My thoughts exactly," I agree, shuddering. "Not far now."

The rumbling continues, very nearby. In the time it takes me to run one step the walkway has already suffered the loss of several screws and part of the safety railing. I run fast, but the walkway breaks faster. It's with a shout of alarm that I fall to the sewage below, writhing in disgust. A splash echoes beside and shouts start to echo from above.

"Urchin, are you alright?" Finnick calls to me.

"Recover the head Mockingjay, now!" one of the soldiers yells. "He can't be lost."

"Electra!" Timm yells.

Beside me Electra moans, dazed from the fall. I help her up, taking my flashlight to my hand a moment later to survey the area.

"Trash," Electra mutters.

"This place sure is," I say, hardly able to say she's wrong.

It's a long tunnel full of foul sewage and floating waste like packaging, rotten food and stuff I don't want to dwell on for more than a second. It leads on quite far, down into darkness. Behind us is a similarly dark area. Seems all the lights down here are dormant, the power likely being knocked out from the war above.

My bones shudder when I hear the sound of growling behind me. I could turn behind and see for myself what it is, but the growls and the rumbling that has been echoing tell me enough. I don't waste a second in grabbing Electra in my arms and running for my life down the tunnel. The shouts and yells from those above tell me all that I need to know.

It's a monster, and a horrible one at that!

"Urchin! Monster!" Electra wails, wide eyed. "Teeth, scales... ugly thing!"

"You have a gun, shoot it!" I order her, struggling to avoid stumbling over as I run along.

The roar behind me seems to become three times as loud and the splashing becomes more frantic in an instant.

"Left! Left!" Electra squeaks.

I obey, moving myself to the left without asking questions. The sound of a lunging and some nasty snapping teeth follows right after. From the corner of my eyes I can see the front of some horrible, scaly muzzle. The fear that surges through me at such a gigantic monster being right behind me has me tearing forth faster than I thought possible for somebody my size.

"Right! To the right!"

I obey Electra again, the mutt lunging right to where I had been standing mere seconds later. Seems that for all its speed and power it's got a bit of a delayed reaction going on. I can't hear the shouts of the others anymore, having left them behind already. All that fills my world is the roaring mutt, Electra's warnings and the occasional shot she fires at it. I have no faith, of course, that her small pistol will really do anything.

I stumble over with a shout, the ground sloping down as we reach the end of the tunnel. Garbage is everywhere and the foul smell is at its thickest. It's a struggle to not vomit up my tiny breakfast.

I brace myself for death, but it never comes. Electra's scream and the sight before me tells me everything that I need to know about what's going on.

I guess Dory was right all along...

A gigantic alligator stares at us, hungry and malicious. It must be the size of at least five train cars all connected together. The scales, the teeth, everything about it reeks of power and death. The beats looks so scraggly and brutal, untamed and uncaring for anything besides eating its prey.

We're its prey.

The only reason it has been held back is the fact a large pipe is blocking it back, one that passes out of one wall and into another. The beast chews the pipe, starting to wear it down. It's bright yellow with some warning sign on it that I cannot quite make out.

I start looking for a way to escape the beast but Electra snaps her fingers as she gasps.

"Boom, boom," she says, aiming her pistol.

I barely have a half-second to work out her plan and take cover behind the garbage before Electra takes the shot, her small form blasted backwards beside me. She groans as she sits up, dazed from the force, but that's nothing to what has happened to the alligator mutt after Electra.

The upper half of the beast is gone, merely gore splattered around the tunnel. The stench and sight are repulsive. I spew out my breakfast, unable to hold it back. The body, what's left of it anyway, twitches for a moment before finally going still. The mutt was only here for barely two minutes and already I think it may just be the most terrifying beast I've faced so far.

Though I wasn't the one to kill to, merely the one to evade it. Looks like Timm and myself were right; Electra is tougher than she seems.

"Did I, um... do good?" Electra asks me.

I help her up, just barely managing to give her a grateful smile.

"You were amazing," I assure her. "Of course, if we had a way out of here that would also be amazing..."

As if on cue a ladder lowers down from above. One glance upwards and I see that Timm is there, the soldiers and Finnick only just starting to arrive behind him. He gives us a tired wave from the control lever he just pulled, panting wearily.

"Here's a... ladder... come on up..." he wheezes, out of breath.

I allow myself a few moments to catch my breath back, letting Electra climb up the ladder before me. She scampers up at a fast speed, chattering to Timm about the big boom and asking if he saw it. I follow her up soon after, content that the mutt is no longer an issue... and worried that the explosion may have given us all away.

I pray hard to the Heavenly Dockyard that, perhaps, just maybe, they'll watch over us and keep us from the sight of the Capitol's army. Just long enough to take out the clock tower and be five miles away right afterwards.

* * *

 **(Not much later...)**

* * *

The end of the sewers is easily found once the alligator is dead. With that powerful monster gone, there isn't really anything left down here that could pose us much of a problem to deal with.

Of course, the problem is that plenty of things will be causing us problems on the surface. Fatal problems, more likely than not.

"The plan is simple, in theory," Finnick says, making sure Timm, Electra and myself are properly armoured. "We go up there, we eliminate all of the cannons, missile launchers and other assorted nasty things on the roof and then we get out of here."

"Sounds like it'll be a lot harder in practise than in theory," I say.

"War always is," one of the soldiers adds, fastening a bayonet to his rifle.

For a few minutes we sit in a near silence below the hatch that'll lead us into the basement of the clock tower and the battle beyond, just getting ourselves ready. Ready in terms of weapons and ready in terms of mind.

Easy for the former. Impossible for the latter.

Looking over my fellow Mockingjays I see that Electra is working to put some scrap parts together, smiling thoughtfully as her hands move around ever so fast. While she works hard on whatever it is, I look over towards Timm. He just sits with his knees drawn up and eyes closed, muttering. Moving close, I hear him loud and clear.

"It's ok to be afraid, it's ok to be afraid."

"It's more than ok," I assure him, giving him a squeeze to the shoulder. "If it wasn't, I'd be in trouble too."

"You afraid?" Timm glances off to the side. "With how angry and fierce you've been acting, I thought you'd started to conquer fear. It's almost scary."

Timm's reply makes me pause. Angry and fierce? I know I've been in a bad mood lately and feeling quite the urge to get even with Snow, but surely it's not that bad is it? I'm just like any other twelve year old... ok, no, that's a lie. But I'm not so full of anger that I come off like some kind of scary person?

I try not to dwell on it as I look over what Electra is doing. She's worked fast, much faster than I had expected. Already she claps to herself, satisfied by what she's made from the scrap collected on the journey so far.

"What have you made, Electra?" I ask her.

"Tazer. Zap, zap," she giggles, pressing the trigger. The front of the weapon crackle with electricity, sending a burst of electricity outwards to a nearby pipe.

The pipe glows as it is electrified, soon left smoking. It's a good thing it was placed on top of a wooden crate or we may have been smoking too. I glance at Electra, wondering just how safe it is to let her keep that weapon. One look in her cheerful, satisfied eyes and I think that I'd be dealing with a sobbing girl if I took it away. I don't need that ion my conscious.

I feel guilty about enough things as it is, like the body count I've gained since the day I was reaped for the first time.

"Whoa, that's effective," Timm remarks, impressed.

"Super effective," Finnick adds, smirking. "They'll never see it coming. Ok everybody, we're moving on up in five minutes... get yourselves ready, just in case you can't later on."

With words that foreboding, it's hardly a surprise that nobody feels anything close to ready by the time the raid is ready to begin. We stand by the trapdoor, ready to move on up and fight. All we're waiting for, says Finnick, is a golden opportunity. A distraction to cover our entrance.

We get exactly what we need a minute later when some loud bombs are dropped onto the surface above us. The boom echoes, crackling and causing some horrible rumbles. It's the perfect cover for us all as we make out way through the trapdoor. The soldiers go first with Timm, Electra and myself bringing up the rear.

I find my courage by imagining how much sooner Ula will be in my arms if we can take this place down quickly. Electra seems to find hers by holding onto her newly built taser very tightly. Timm, meanwhile, repeats that same mantra to himself.

That it's ok to be afraid.

Well... speaking personally I don't have time for fear right now. Now when Snow's men are up there, all of them intent on supporting the man and regime who murder children and have my sister hostage. If they try to run, _**I'll track them down and grind their-**_

"Scary face, Urchin..." Electra trails off into a quiet mumble, holding her weapon tighter.

"Sorry... I guess I'm just in a scary mood," I say, gripping my rifle nice and firm. "No scarier than what's up there."

"The worst part is you're right," Timm says, closing his eyes. "It's ok to be scared, it's ok to be scared..."

* * *

 **(About ten minutes later...)**

* * *

Finnick was right to tell us to get ready.

It's carnage.

We exited the trapdoor into the empty basement of the Clock Tower, but since then things have been on a violent downward spiral. Both for us and for the Capitol's soldiers. The bombs being dropped outside and the hovercrafts that fly by and take off from the courtyard gave us plenty of sound to cover our progress through the Peacekeepers' domain.

Ever since the first grenade was thrown and a barrel of hovercraft fuel was ignited things have been out of control. The bottom floor of the clocktower is full of fire, and it's only getting worse. With everybody focusing on fighting and staying alive nobody has been attempting to put it out. The end result was many scorched soldiers on both sides of the battle.

It's lucky for us that some of the rebels out in the streets, both well armed and simply brave civilians, have joined the battle and prevent the Peacekeepers focusing fully on us.

All the same, the fallen chunks of concrete from above won't hold back the bullets forever. Even now the gunfire is constantly impacting the other side of our barrier, mere feet from my flesh. Timm is to my left, his teeth chattering and occasionally firing off a shot or tossing a few explosives. He's made good use the fallen equipment he took from some of the dead people laying around us.

Meanwhile Electra is to my right, off in her own little world. She stares around for the most part, occasionally acting fast and using her self-made taser to great effect. Her weapon is mighty, always 'stun locking' a Peacekeeper until she decides to let go of the trigger. In a way it's freaky how she's left several of the Capitol's troops laying around with smoke rising off of them. I'm not entirely sure if they are dead or just deeply unconscious from the high voltage.

I'm between them, having no idea exactly where everybody else is in all this madness. I'm stuck for plans, unsure how we'll be able to reach the upper levels where all the heavy artillery is being kept. If we make a charge we'll surely be shot to death.

But, if we stay where we are, we'll suffer the same fate before long. We need to pull of something big, and within the next minute or two. Otherwise we're gonna be chum.

"How are we gonna get up the stairs?" Timm gulps as he tosses another grenade. "They're all blocked off."

"Run up them and... get higher?" Electra suggests.

"Hard to do that with all the enemy forces," I say, gripping my helmet tighter to my head. "Anybody got a flash grenade?"

"Fresh out," Timm says, shaking his head.

"Nothing... just zappy zapping," Electra giggles, firing off her taser again. By the sounds of it she barely missed somebody. "Rats!"

"Well we need to find some way up, or we're gonna be trapped here before long," I briefly peer over the top of the rubble, ducking back down before anybody has a chance to shoot at me. "If we could just bring the clock tower down then we wouldn't even have to make our way to the top."

"How are we gonna do that?" Timm tosses another grenade. "It's all armoured from the outside, right? Otherwise they could've bombed it apart by now... um... right?"

"Boom, boom..." Electra nods her agreement, firing off another blast. "Zap, zap!"

"But... is it quite so armoured on the inside?" I ask after a moment of thought.

We're all silent, the air filled only by gunfire, explosions and screams. A louder explosion rings out, surely from Timm's latest grenade. I peer over the top of the rubble again, looking for where it went off. It's easy to spot the hole in the wall of the clock tower's brick wall that was not there before.

"Not so tough on the inside..." I trail off, ducking down to evade the gunfire. "We can bring down the lower level. If we do that then what hope do the upper levels have? The place will be done for."

"We'd be smooshed... um... like bugs," Electra shudders. "Bugs... yuck..."

"If we could set down some kind of a bomb then we might be able to flee and let it do the hard work for us," I glance around, seeing Timm is out of grenades. "See a time bomb laying around?"

Timm shakes his head, muttering about how nobody could ever be that lucky. Least of all us. What we do have to work with are various bits of scrap and other bits and bobs laying around the large interior of the clock tower. I certainly can't do a thing with them.

Timm looks as lost as I am, unsure what to do. He seems more focused on not breaking out into a fit of pure panic like he has done in the past. I glance at Electra, the small girl still holding her taser tightly. If she could build that from just a few scraps down in the sewers, then perhaps...

"Electra, can you build us a bomb?" I ask, hopeful.

"Um... might be able to... big bomb, needs big supplies... need things... will try..." she mumbles a bit, tapping her fingers together. "May, um, take some time."

"Looks like we have our plan Timm," I move closer to him, wincing from all the sounds of dying soldiers sprawled around. "Electra says she can make a bomb, but she needs time and supplies."

"So, what do we do?" he asks, unsure.

"You cover her. Make sure nobody gets anywhere near her," I take out my rifle as I talk, checking to see how many bullets are loaded inside. Sixty, good. "I'll grab the stuff she needs."

"Do you know what goes into a bomb?" Timm asks, doubtful. He moves over to Electra all the same. "Electra, what do you need?"

Electra pauses, counting on her fingers for a few moments.

"Ummmm... fuel, shrapnel, wire, grenades... loud things," she squeals as bullets hit the wall behind us, not far above our heads. "So loud..."

"I'll be right back," I take a deep breath, my weapon held so tightly that my knuckles ache a bit. "Don't die."

I leap from cover before Timm can reply, grabbing up some shrapnel from the ground and rolling behind more cover. Right at my feet is wire, soon grabbed up to join the shrapnel.

"Catch!"

I toss the supplies over to Timm. He catches them and quickly hands them off to Electra. I see her thinking hard for a moment and start tinkering with them, but I don't have time to hang around and watch. Not when a grenade lands right beside me.

I curse loudly, chucking it back and leaping beside another layer of fallen concrete. Explosions and a dying scream fill my ears. Part of me hopes that it wasn't my grenade that caused the death of whoever that was.

Part of me hopes I killed one of Snow's nastiest soldiers.

It goes on like a demented game of fetch and catch for several minutes. I run through the war zone, my armoured outfit stopping the bullets, though not the immense pain they bring, as I grab up several bomb pieces Electra will need. A grenade with the pin still in, the fuel tank of an abandoned flamethrower, mangled and sharp metal fragments and even some cloth soaked in what smells like fuel.

Fetching is only part of the madness. I have to do all that while gunshots fire around, and at, me but also move around the soldiers on both sides of the war and then toss everything to where Timm is watching over Electra. I can't see what Electra is doing from where I stand across the massive room, only Timm occasionally popping his head up check where I am.

"Need anything else?" I shout across the war zone, flinching as a bullet ricochets off of my helmet.

There's a brief pause, during while I see Finnick take down a Peacekeeper with a trident just outside the clock tower. It's a brief moment, but for a second it's like I was watching myself doing such a thing to President Snow.

What does it say about me that it's something I'd hardly mind being reality?

I distantly hear Timm calling out for more fuel, but it's hard to pay him much mind when I'm grabbed from behind, right around my waste.

"Got you, 'Mockingjay'!"

I don't give him a response or any attention. All I know is that dying means Ula is doomed. I see red, like a darker side is taking over for a moment. One moment I'm struggling and he's yelling for his superior officer to help him. The next moment I've swung my assault rifle behind me as hard as my scrawny arms can manage.

I'm hardly a brawny commando, but an assault rifle to the teeth would hurt anybody. He kneels over, screaming and starts to stagger off with blood across his face. I give him no more of my attention, having spotted a cluster of lighters laying on the hard ground very nearby. Lighters mean fuel, right?

I grab them all up in my arms, sprinting like a madman back to where my friends are hiding. I cry out, a bullet partly piercing through my armour and into my shoulder. The pain is bad, worse than the arrow Weldar shot in that exact spot many months ago. The armour prevented the worst of the pain hitting me, but does nothing to quell the blood that leaks from the wound.

"Aaaahhhh, that hurts, that hurts really bad..." I wheeze, shuddering as I stumble down beside Timm and Electra. "Here, take it."

I drop the lighters down, several of them scattering around our hiding spot. Electra admires a pink one, softly giggling, before she continues to put her bomb together. I stand beside Timm, keeping a watch over her as she sets it up just-so. We cover ourselves up as another part of the walls collapses, more daylight from outside shining through as a cloud of dust fills the air.

Many bodies lay around. I don't know if they are friends or foes; it's impossible to make anything out past all of the blood. All I know for sure is that Finnick remains alive; I can hear him shout from within the cloud of dust, knocking somebody out.

"Get off of me!" he bellows, sending another Peacekeeper falling. The sound has me flinch a bit.

"We should help him," I say, holding my rifle at the ready.

"Can we do anything?" Timm asks.

"So long as we're alive then we can do anything, or at least try," I tell him. "Electra, how is the bomb looking?"

"Done, done, done," she mumbles, holding up something I can only describe as a mangled chimera of fuel, wires and metal. No word exists that'd do it justice. "...Time for the clock to, um... tick and go... boom?"

We may have the bomb to take this place down... but where should we put it? The place has to come down, no two ways about it. Where would be the place to cause the most damage possible?

I glance around quickly, hoping for the answer to strike me before another bullet does. The one in my shoulder throbs worse than the pain of ten crossbow bolts, at least presumably. I hope Thirteen's medics will know what to do; they already fixed up the mutt bite, didn't they?

It's lucky for me that I spot the answer to our problems sooner than later. This specific problem, at least.

A few Peacekeepers lay dead in a heap off in a far corner, some rebel troops laying still beside them. What catches my attention is how several Peacekeepers have got back mounted flamethrowers. How could I have missed that?

They'd be flammable as hell, certainly enough to weaken the building and make the bomb's effects even greater. All we'd need is to set the bomb down.

"Shall I get the bomb set?" I ask, looking it over. "So, how do I start the timer anyway?"

"Red button... on the underside," Electra mumbles.

Sure enough, it's right where she says it is. One push and she claims it'll go off in five minutes. That should be enough time to clear the area and hide somewhere. Though, the collateral damage will surely be extreme.

But isn't Eight in a bad state anyway. And, would civilians really hang around the clock tower when it's infested with Peacekeepers?

I feel quite surprised when Timm takes the bomb from me, saying that he'll handle it. Naturally, my first instinct is to ask him why the hell he wants the job when he's been quite open about how much he hates the war and how he feels so afraid. I'd not mind letting him run off right away and get a head start.

"I've been running for too long," he says, shaking his head. "Besides, it's my home Urchin. Eight is mine, it's where I've spent almost all my time and gained nearly all of my good memories."

The way he briefly glances at Electra makes me figure out what good memories he's gained outside of Eight. She's truly his very own Rue, a thing I cannot help smiling over. My smile is gone soon though when Timm moves Electra closer to me.

"Get her and everybody else out of here," he speaks fast, his nerves flaring up and his hands jittering a bit. "You're faster, you can get her out of here."

"What about you?" I ask, unsure of this turn of events. "Can you get out of here in time?"

"Yes," he says, so quick I almost cannot understand him. "I got this. I'm not a useless coward, not now. Not anymore."

I don't get to say another word before he runs for the corner where the flamethrowers lay dorment upon the bodies. I waste no time in picking Electra up in my arms. She squeaks in surprise, but otherwise just huddles up and holds me.

"Don't drop, please," she mumbles.

"I won't," I assure her. "EVACUATE! FINNICK, EVERYBODY ELSE, EVACUATE!"

Finnick looks at me and then Timm running to set the bomb down. That's all it takes for him to bellow out the order to evacuate, far stronger and less shrill than my own voice was. Some soldiers cover Timm as he makes the run to set up the bomb while I lead the charge outside into the courtyard.

With Electra held in my arms and her having seemingly dropped her pistol I know it'll be a dangerous run that lays ahead of me. I cannot fight back, only attempt to dodge and avoid running into the enemy. I force my legs to carry me faster than they ever have before. Faster than running to school, faster than my charge at the Cornucopia in the seventy fourth games where I beat the Careers there, faster than fleeing that nasty alligator mere hours ago.

The world around me feels like a blur as I sprint through the rubble and fire everywhere. Electra occasionally points out a hazard to me, such as a cluster of bodies or the remnants of a ruined building soon to collapse, and I make sure to run clear of it.

A glance back over my shoulder shows me a scene of panic. Rebels run one way, Peacekeepers run the other, both sides have people shooting and being shot, Finnick leads them all and looks relatively fine for the moment. Further back Timm has now ran from the clock tower with two soldiers flanking him.

I return my focus to running and the broken terrain ahead of me. I can't do anything for Timm and those further back except to be glad that they got out of the clock tower at all. But I can do plenty for Electra and myself; keeping us moving so that we won't be in danger when the clock tower falls.

"Boom, boom," she mumbles, looking back over my shoulder and towards the clock tower.

"When is it going to come down?" I ask her, leaping over some broken bricks.

A massive explosion tears through the air. As the bangs and blasts echo around I hear the tell tale sign of a building beginning to fall over. With the sheer size of it and all the artillery supplies at the top I expect a monster of an explosion is soon to follow the first one.

"It's coming down right now," Electra says, covering her eyes. "So loud and... um... really noisy..."

My world becomes consumed by a roaring explosion and a gigantic dust cloud blazing forth to consume us all. Everything after that is nothing but blind stumbling, crying, screaming and pain. I think I hear a hovercraft or three making their way downwards, but everything feels so distant that I have no idea if this is true or not.

I kneel over, suddenly overcome by fatigue and the feeling of shock. As I fall down with Electra rolling out of my arms, similarly out of it, I come to a stop laying on my back. Everything feels so distant and suddenly things go from loud to pure silence...

* * *

 **(...Unknown...)**

* * *

When awareness returns to me – whether it's been minutes or hours I honestly have no idea – I feel like I'm a world away from the battlefield I remember running through.

I'm not just saying I'm light headed. The area I have found myself in now is like some kind of whole new dimension. It has to be a dream; perhaps from me being knocked out by a bomb?

Though, if this is a dream then why do I feel so aware?

Mist and clouds surround me on all sides, everything feeling... I guess the word would be 'celestial'. A shiny, soft sea stretches away into infinity with faint golden sunlight cast onto it. Hard to explain how, as the sky is covered in a thick blanket of clouds that glow mysteriously.

It takes a moment for me to realise that I am sitting on a bench upon a dock. A faint foghorn jerks me out of my thoughts, forcing me to look around at this strange place I've found myself at.

"Where am I?" is all I can bring myself to say.

I reach out to lay a hand on the bench. I can't stop a gasp passing my lips when I feel it...it's really there. Just like a bench back in reality, unless that's just my brain reacting to the dream world?

The waves, the distant unseen boats, everything... it all goes deathly quiet. Soon only a giggle can be heard, coming from somewhere in the mist and fog. My spine shivers... I know that giggle, it's one I never expected to hear ever again besides memories of better days.

"...Is somebody there?" I ask, nervousness filling me up.

Silence, not even a giggle anymore. I gulp, feeling paranoid from all of the silence. Am I going to wake up soon... or did I die? If that giggle was real and not just my imagination, what other explanation is there?

Dead... shit, if I'm dead then Ula... no... no!

I'm so lost in thought that I don't notice somebody has crept up on me until they put their tan hands over my face.

"Guess who~!"

I scream at an embarrassingly loud volume. The alarming feeling that surges through me overpowers all else, leading to me falling off of the bench and down to the ground. Amazingly it doesn't hurt at all, aside leaving me feeling dizzy. I sit myself up, soon offered a hand by the figure who startled me.

"Sorry about that," Dory says, sheepish. She pulls me into a tight hug the instant I'm back on my feet. "Oh Urchin, it's so good to see you..."

I try to say something, anything, to the friend I've missed so much. I only manage a bewildered mumble as I look at Dory – since when did she get angel wings and a halo? - while she just smiles back at me.

I'm silent, still unsure what to say. I've got no idea what's going on and why my dead friend stands beside me once again. Dory sits on the bench and pats the spot beside her, giving me a smile.

"Shall we watch the waves, just like when we were little?" she asks, still smiling.

I sit myself beside her, trying to find the words for what I want to say. I go from wanting to say I'm glad to see her, that I've missed her so much, that I am unsure if I'm alive or dead, that I feel a fire burning in my soul every time Snow enters my head.

"Hi," is all I manage to say.

I groan while Dory snickers, giving me one of her sly looks. Her amusement is clear to see.

"Oh Urchin, you always were a teensy bit of a dork," she remarks. "I've missed that."

"...Aren't you dead, Dory?" I ask, uneasy.

"I think so, yes," she says, nodding.

"Is this just in my head, or are you here to lead me to the other side?" I continue, my eye twitching.

"I don't think you're dead," she says, a hand placed upon my shoulder. "You feel alive."

We're silent for a while after that, sitting close and staring out at the calm sea. It's tranquillity that the waking world couldn't possibly have, especially with how awful District Four is looking right now. Waves like this won't happen for many years.

I soon embrace Dory, unable to stop a few tears flowing down my face. Whether this is real or not, I don't want to pass the chance to hug my best friend one last time. It means more to me than I can put into words when she willingly returns the hug.

"Is this the last time we'll ever see each other?" I ask her.

"Maybe. Unless you die," she says, looking back out at the sea. "Consider this to be the dock between Panem and Beyond. A crossroads, except... um, well, no roads here? It's all sea."

Dory trails off, looking like she's suddenly forgotten something important. It's a look I was used to seeing on her face back when she was alive.

"Oh! Now I remember!" she giggles, a little embarrassed. "I'm here to give you some advice and talk a bit about stuff."

"What kind of stuff?" I ask her, softly.

"...I can't remember. Darn it..." she groans, massaging her scalp with both hands. "I know I wrote it down somewhere... um..."

We sit like this for some time – I couldn't possibly tell you how long. I'm not so sure time even exists in this strange place, real or not. - as Dory tries to gather her words. I don't mind the silence, I'm just glad to see my friend again.

"You're hurting pretty bad, aren't you Urchin?" she smiles in a sad sort of way. "I don't hurt anymore, not since I passed on. But you... there's no break from it, is there?"

"Not for a moment, really," I clench my fists, my eyes closed tightly. "Ula's been captured and so has Prim. People keep dying, people I love... I couldn't even save you. I ran off and didn't even think to wait for you or even look back in case you were in trouble. What kind of a person am I?"

"One with a lot of pain inside that needs to be let out with care," Dory moves closer to me, her head upon my shoulder. "You have friends still alive, don't forget that. Rue, Hopper, Timm, Electra, Valkri, Prim, Coral... plenty of friends. They can help you let it all out without... going too far."

She looks me in my eyes, almost nervous for a moment.

"Your dark side is getting out more Urchin, and it's not a good look for a cute guy like you," she whispers, laying her hand upon mine. "You need to control it. Hate Snow all you want, but don't lose what makes you the hero of this story of yours. Don't lose control."

She looks away, as if scared for a brief moment. She mumbles something, words I don't hear and have to ask for her to repeat.

"I've seen what may happen if you make too many 'evil choices'," she gulps, looking right into my eyes. "Make the good choices Urchin, let goodness fill your soul."

"I should have made the choice to have run back to the Cornucopia back in the Quell and prevented Colm from ever hurting you," I sniffle, raw and salty tears filling my eyes. "I made a bad choice, a terrible one even."

"You still have plenty of good choices left to make," Dory says, a sweet smile crossing over her face. "Just make sure to think carefully before you make a big choice."

I promise her that I will, and soon we sit in silence again. So much is being left unsaid, but what can I say? Where do I start? Surely Dory knows how much she is missed and how destroyed I felt after her death. She'd know what's become of our home and the pain we're all having to suffer every day.

She'd certainly know my darkest desires for revenge...

"I think it's time for me to go," Dory says, standing herself up. "Be good, be brave and be ready. I still believe in you."

"Already?" I rise, trying to reach out for her. "But... you only just got here."

"Time's running out fast," she tells me. "But one day, time won't matter anymore. When eternity awaits, a handful of decades isn't really so long."

After a final goodbye she spreads her wings, ready to take off into the sky. The final look she sends me way, though... she seems almost a little bit anxious.

"If I were you, I'd trust Electra's word and check out the monster in Thirteen," she says. "See you later, Urchy."

Dory takes off, flying away into the infinite horizon of the ocean, soon gone from my sight and off to the clouds. I'm left alone, only able to call after her. But I get no response, my friend already being gone. That is, if she was here to begin with. Was it all a dream?

The clouds get brighter and brighter, the whole dockyard becoming consumed in a bright glow. A distant voice I can't quite make out starts speaking, but it may as well be talking another language. I can't understand a word of it. I let out a final yell as everything becomes pure white around me.

* * *

 **(The waking world...)**

* * *

"Urchin... Urchin!"

Everything comes into focus quite slowly. When the world around me finally comes into focus I realise two things right away. The first is how the battlefield is gone, nowhere in sight. In fact, I'm lying upon a bed in what might be a hospital, one that looks like it's taken some damage recently. The cracks that run up the walls seem 'fresh', I guess.

The second thing I notice is that Rue is sitting at my bedside, worry filling up her wide eyes. As soon as she sees I'm waking up the worry become relief. Hardly a second later she's embracing me so tightly it feels like I'm gonna pop!

"Oh thank goodness!" Rue sighs, deep and thankful. "Urchin, don't you _ever_ scare me like that again."

"I'll try not to," I wheeze, trying to make Rue loosen her grip. "A bit too tight!"

"Oh, sorry," she says, releasing me with an awkward and exhausted giggle. "I'm just glad you're alright. The clock tower came down, all the nasty weapons coming with it... it's a scorched crater right now. ...People died."

"How many of them were on our side?" I ask, unsure how to respond to the news. "I mean... the mission was a success, right?"

"It was. Eight is under rebel control now," Rue tells me, moving to sit beside me upon the bed. "But there were quite a few deaths on both sides. All of the Flock made it, Finnick too. Some soldiers survived and others didn't. It's a mess... a horrible, terrible, nasty bloodsoaked mess."

I move to gently give her a hug, but Rue pulls away. She sighs, looking up at the ceiling.

"The worst part is that my District is probably going to be in an even worse state than this one was," Rue closes her eyes, pained. "At least Timm feels alright."

"Is he happy?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.

"I mean, kind of. Not 'real happy' but maybe 'grim happy'; he feels like he's actually worth something now," Rue sighs again, distant. "He almost got crushed by debris. His lower right arm needs surgery. I guess that's the price of being a hero... you lose part of your body. Just like Chaff."

"Poor guy," I flinch at the thought of how much pain Timm must be in. Is he being operated on right now? "Is Electra alright?"

"She is. She keeps asking if one of the soldiers can take her to the train station; she keeps saying she 'likes trains'," Rue giggles, lacking any humour or a smile. "They keep telling her no. They won't let her see Timm either, saying he's in too much pain."

"I guess we're all feeling pretty crappy right now," I sit myself up, still woozy. "And Hopper?"

"He's on the roof, keeping an eye out for any trouble. There won't be any, not now that the Peacekeepers are gone, but he doesn't care. I think he just wants to be alone to process the fact Boggs is dead. Castor's not been any better since Pollux died," Rue lets out a sight, flopping to lay down beside me. "Basically, Panem sucks right now."

"I guess we'll have to keep doing our job to stop it from sucking so much," I say, balling my hand into a fist.

We're silent for a while, not really sure what to say. It's normally nice to just be alone together, able to talk about anything or sometimes just hold hands and smile... not now, not anymore. There's just too much pain going on across the nation. Good people died in the battle we won. Even if bad people died too, does it really make it worth it?

...If it means we're closer to taking down the enemy, then yes.

"How long was I out?" I ask eventually. "I had a really odd dream. Like, chum levels of odd. Dory was there and it was... well... I wasn't sure if it was a dream or not."

"You were moving around a lot when you were sleeping," Rue notes. "You passed out after a gas pipe ruptured and filled the air with some sort of fumes. I'm not sure what they were, but that may explain the dream. As for how long, well..."

"Two days?" I guess, figuring it must have been a while.

"Five days," Rue says, shivering. "I was starting to worry that you weren't going to wake up."

"Five days?!" I let out a choked gasp. "Fuck, we're so far behind schedule!"

"Do you _need_ to use that word?" Rue asks, shuddering. "...Don't worry. I heard the adults talking; Ten and Nine have gotten under rebel control too. With Thirteen ours to start with and Four... well.. that's five Districts out of the Twelve that still exist. Seems fast if you ask me."

I soon relax after that, somewhat at least. We're almost halfway to being done already; once all twelve Districts unite then finally we can make our march on the Capitol and upon Snow's mansion. I'll find him in that mansion _**and when I do**_...

I snap out of it, trying to chill myself out, when I see how Rue is starting to look nervous. It's not a nice feeling, knowing that my anger scared my girlfriend. She lays a hand upon my shoulder giving it a gentle squeeze.

"Get some rest," she says, gently. "We'll be heading back to Thirteen tonight."

"Because I'm awake?" I ask.

"Actually we'd have left either way. We've stayed here this long because the people of Eight needed help putting things back together again and Timm wanted to film his propo in his home District. I think he did a great job," Rue gets up, ruffling my curls. "Get a good rest, you deserve it after the clock tower explosion and that alligator."

I soon settle myself down, ready to get at least a small amount of rest before the next mission we end up being sent on. Rue stays with me as I drift off once again, my eyelids suddenly feeling as heavy as barbells. Maybe a rest is just what I need here...

* * *

 **(Later...)**

* * *

It was a sombre sort of farewell to District Eight. While they're free of the Capitol's hold, they're not in the best of states right now. Broken buildings, dead bodies in the streets... sucks to say it, but we added to that destruction. The people in Eight will be cleaning up for weeks, maybe months.

At least they seemed glad for the help we gave them. I guess we really did our job as saviours, even if we're rather destructive ones.

They all cheered for Timm, chanting his name like he was a hero. If you ask me, a hero is exactly what he is. He bought that clock tower down, after all. Though, seeing him with his arm in a cast that seems to be stained a faint red... Rue was right, heroism comes with a price.

He seems to like the praise though, smiling very bashfully and waving to the crowd as we board the hovercraft back to Thirteen. The way Electra hugs him, mumbling praise, is certainly the icons on the cake.

If only we'd managed to find Timm's family, but they're still missing. We were told that finding them will be a top priority, but with all the clean up going on it will take us some time.

I try to focus on the positives as we take off from Eight and start flying back to base. We succeeded at the mission and dealt the Capitol another big loss. Eight has always been a very rebellious District, one that will no doubt cause them plenty of issues now that they're free to do whatever they want. With Nine and Ten on our side too the Capitol may even be able to get starved into defeat.

I find myself selfishly hoping that they don't have much food stocked up. Let them feel what it's like to starve and waste away for a change.

I glance away from where Timm sits with Electra dozing against him and instead to Hopper. He sits beside me, staring at the opposite wall of the hovercraft. Rue was right, Boggs' death is hitting him pretty hard.

"Any way I can help?" I ask him.

"Nothing to be done besides be good soldiers and keep fighting," Hopper says, closing his eyes. "Boggs taught me a lot about self-restraint and being a real soldier... I think it's only right that I honour his memory and act in a way he'd approve of."

"I'm sure he'd be happy to hear that," I say, a hand laid upon his shoulder. "How were things at the hospital? The clock tower was insane for my squad."

"Vandalised another Capitol billboard and took out a helicopter," he says, weakly snickering. "You know, I'm thinking of vandalising a billboard in every District. Make it my 'calling card', y'know?"

"Go for it," I tell him. "...The billboards have a phone number on them right? I say call the number and bother them when you wreck their billboards."

Hopper's eyes seem to lighten up as I say that, no doubt plenty of mischievous thoughts filling his mind. I believe he has it in him to be one excellent soldier, whether or not Boggs is here. By all accounts Hopper has consistently performed strongly and bravely in the midst of battle.

For a time things are silent aside from Castor's soft weeping over his deceased brother and the Victor from Seven – Logger, wasn't it? - muttering to himself quietly as he clutches his hip. It's quiet enough for me to start drifting off to sleep. I'm roused from my almost-slumber when Finnick tells us that Timm's propo is airing again.

"If you haven't seen it yet, watch it now. This is great, thoughtful stuff," he says, smiling. "Gave me quite a bit of inspiration actually. I know what I'm doing as soon as we're back, thanks to Timm."

Timm says something, quiet and flattered, while a wall mounted TV flickers into life. Thoughts of my own propos and the magnificent art that was Hopper's propo fill my mind as I wait for it to start. How will Timm's propo compare to those that came before? And how may it compare to those yet to be made, like Electra's own?

I sit quietly, excited to find out where this one is going. Timm smiles from his own seat, far from what I'd call content, but certainly looking a lot more at peace than he was that night in Twelve. Seems that, ironically, being in the thick of things has done him some good. Though, not to his arm...

When the TV comes to life, the propo begins with Timm sitting in an old graveyard. His face is sombre, but there's some determination in his eyes as well. He traces a hand along one of the gravestones, dismayed, and looks up at the screen.

" _Death follows us everywhere we go in life, up to the moment it finally catches up to us. But death is quite the slow fellow, letting us run for decades before he catches us. Thing is... the Capitol thinks they can take his role, and they catch us very quickly_ ," Timm says, shaking his head. " _People of the Capitol, do you even remember Isaak? Sherri? Colm? Moxie? Farro? Weavee? Do you spare any thoughts to the children you kidnapped from their homes and stole the futures from? If you answered no... I pity you. I can't imagine caring so little about the lives of children and.. you know what, I don't want to either_."

Timm sighs, shaking his head. The cameras show all the destruction going on in District Eight, all the fires and bodies and the rest of the carnage. When the camera comes back to Timm he looks even more disapproving.

" _You say you 'safeguard our future'. You say that peace was 'hard fought and sorely won'... no, just no. You steal our future away for your own selfish greed. You loved causing agony to people who only wanted a better, fairer future. You did all of this_ ," Timm takes a deep breath in and out. " _I may have lost my family by now and not even know it. Are you proud? Proud to be murderers? I'd not be._ "

More rubble and wreckage is shown, in even worse detail than before. The blood is everywhere and fire fills the place like it's some kind of pure hell.

" _We only have a little time in the end, so you need to make the best use of it as you possibly can_ ," Timm stops being so quiet and morose now. No, now he sounds... almost bold. " _But we can never make use of our time with the Capitol tyranny and evil. If you want to live, you must do your part to weaken them. If we unite as one, we'll have a chance. A big chance. The 'wise and infallible Capitol' is afraid of what we can do when we put aside our conflicts and work together. We all share the exact same, inevitable fate... but until then, let's do the right thing and truly safeguard the future by ending these horrific Hunger Games and making the world a kinder place_."

Timm takes out a sheet of paper, glancing it over for a moment. He moves his head to stare right into the camera. I have to admit, it's a little bit creepy.

" _A short poem; the feast of life_ ," Timm says. " _Bread begins the meal of life. Meat to savour the time at hand. Dessert to cherish our remaining years. One last drink and the bottle breaks, turning us to the dust from whence we came. ...We share one fate, so make the most of every single day and moment therein. You never know when your own bottle will break. Thank you_."

The propo ends with a flash of a Mockingjay and then the transmission cuts off. Everybody cheers, myself very much included, while Timm just smiles modestly.

"Um, I'm glad you guys liked it," he says, glancing off to the side shyly.

"You did great," I tell him. "We all did, the living and... those who had their bottles break."

The ride back to Thirteen is quiet after that. We survived, Eight is under our control and the propo is going to certainly help our cause. But there are notably fewer people on this hovercraft than there were back when we set off on this mission.

Who around me shall die next?

* * *

 **(Some time later...)**

* * *

As soon as we're back in Thirteen we're all herded to the medical area for checking over. Finnick insists that he is fine and needs to see Annie right away, but even the most popular Victor there ever was is swiftly overruled and forced to sit alongside us for medical examining.

Lucky for us most of us are deemed fine enough to be allowed back to our rooms before long. Timm remains behind to get his arm checked over more closely and some soldiers need patching up, but besides that it seems we avoided the worst of injuries we could have gotten.

Thirteen seems very sombre after the demise of Boggs and the medical wing is no exception. Valkri, seated beside Tack's bed, looks to be in quite a state as I approach her. She shakes her head to herself, looking depressed.

"How are you?" I ask her.

"Well, what do you think?" she asks, looking away. "Not great. Mummy is missing while the war keeps going on. People are dying all over the place. Minnie is still being held hostage and no matter what I say Coin refuses to listen to me when I plead for them to help her, and Prim. She says I'm the 'lesser among the Flock'."

Valkri seethes, quietly counting to ten under her breath. I try to rest a hand on her shoulder but she shakes me off, uncomfortable.

"Please don't," she says, firm.

"Sorry. Just... you're not the 'lesser one'. That's stupid," I move to sit beside her as I speak. "You're the strongest among us, Val."

"Thanks Urchin," she says, not looking any better.

"So, you've been here while we were out there... has Tack woken up at all? Has Nella or Zabrina?" I wonder how desperate I must sound as I ask her this.

"The girls are still out of it," Valkri says, pausing to flinch. "Sometimes they scream from within their dreams. Tack though, he's woken up a few times. Not for long, but enough for me to say hello and try to keep him calm."

Valkri looks down at him, a weak smile appearing on her face.

"He's very polite. Really sweet," she continues. "I'm glad you saved him."

"As am I," I agree, standing up. "Will you be coming on the next mission?"

"Expect me to be there," Valkri says, determined. "One way or the other I'll be coming along, fighting hard and showing just how 'lesser' I really am... or, rather, am not!"

I leave soon after that, wishing Valkri well. I find it strange Coin would say something like that to her; I mean, physically speaking, Valkri is by far the most powerful member of the Flock. In what sense is she possibly lesser?

Looks like I know what I'll be talking to Coin about in our next meeting.

* * *

 **(A few minutes later...)**

* * *

On my way back towards my room I'm intercepted by Finnick. I'd expected him to still feel in great pain over the recent death of Mags and of all the bloodshed in Eight... and, in fairness, I think he's still hurting a lot on the inside. I know that I sure am.

But there's something else about him right now, like he's got a grand plan going on. One he says he needs my help with. I find it odd he'd ask a twelve years old for aid, but since when have I been a normal kid? Not since the seventy fourth reaping...

"Basically, I need you to keep Annie busy for about an hour while I get things ready in the canteen," he tells me.

"Keep her busy? How?" I ask. "You mean, uh... board games?"

"Anything to buy me some time," Finnick says.

"Sure, but I feel inclined to ask you why," I say, raising an eyebrow. "Got something big in mind?"

"The biggest thing ever," Finnick replies, a serene sort of smile appearing on his tired face. For a brief second, it's like he's a happy man. "I'm going to ask her to marry me."

One moment I'm cheering like the kid I used to be before everything went off the rails. The next moment I freeze, realising exactly where it is we're walked past.

The basement door, the one that leads to the 'monster' Electra has been talking about. The one Dory claimed I should investigate in my dream.

It was only a dream... though, what if it wasn't?

"You seem distracted," Finnick notes.

"It's just... Electra keeps talking about a 'monster in the basement'. Perhaps it's time I checked this out for myself," I say, gesturing to the door. "Just to satisfy my curiosity. I'll go keep Annie busy after that."

"Of course. You know what, I'll come to. After all, if a monster is afoot then who better to have as your bodyguard?" Finnick asks, smirking.

With a tired, amused shake my head I lead Finnick through the door and down the flights of stairs. We make quick progress, only getting quicker once we come to an elevator and ride it down to what seems to be the lowest area of Thirteen. It's no different to look at than anywhere else in the underground District, but things just feel a bit creepier down here. Like something in the air is amiss...

It's a corridor we've found ourselves in, several doors to the left and right. A single door is at the very end of the corridor, a guard sleeping on duty beside it. I make a beeline over there; if a guard is by the door then surely something important is behind the door.

As Finnick and I get closer we hear a distant groan. It sounds so broken and scratchy, but perhaps that's the monster that Electra claimed to have heard? Sure enough it's coming from behind the door.

"What do you think it is?" I ask.

"No idea, but I'd really like to know," Finnick says, suspicious. "This doesn't feel right."

The guard stirs as we come to the door, quick to try and block us off from entering. He says we're off limits, off of line and that nobody except Coin is allowed through the door. I've barely begun trying to ask him about the groaning when a new sound comes from beyond the door.

A weak call for help.

It's a voice I know.

"Move aside," I say, feeling like my 'dark side' is starting to appear once again.

"I am going to ask you to leave. This area is off limits," the guard insists.

" _ **Move aside**_."

He makes a grab for me, but Finnick acts faster. With ease Finnick pins the guard to the wall, locking him in place like he's nothing.

"Open the door," he tells me, a grave look on his face. He has the same idea of what's going on as I do.

I don't hesitate. A few rams against the door with my elbow gets the stiff thing to finally burst open. I've barely set foot through the door before I kneel over, barely holding back a scream.

Coral is chained the wall, looking starved and very dehydrated. She weakly raises her head to look at me, mumbling something inaudible. I'm over to her like a flash of lightning, looking for a key to release her. I feel like I'm gonna be sick...

She was here all along. Not in the detention block, but stuck down here and being starved! What the hell is going on here?! How long has she been here now; over a week? How did it take me so long to find her?

"Coral, who did this to you?" I ask, grabbing a key from across the room and unlocking the first of her cuffs.

She doesn't say a word until she's collapsed into my arms, so much thinner and weaker than she was before. Her pale face is like that of a zombie.

"...Coin..." she whispers, sobbing.

* * *

Looks like when something goes right, something will go wrong soon afterwards. Five Districts on the rebels side, but now it seems Coin's been up to no good. All this and people keep dying while the war rages on. How are things gonna end up for our increasingly angry protagonist? Stay tuned to find out!


	8. Act 2-5: Reunions and Goodbyes

**Disclaimer:** I do not own The Hunger Games. They belong to Suzanne Collins.

 **Note:** Well, it sure has been a while since the last chapter went up, huh? What's my excuse this time? Let's just say a combo of Cheating Death and general real life crap kept me distracted. I sure am an unreliable person, aren't I? Well, better late than never at all so here's the next chapter. Hope you all enjoy it.

* * *

 **ACT 2: THE LIBERATION**

 **Part 5: Reunions and Goodbyes**

* * *

It was a while before I stopped screaming and roaring with a force that I had not known I was capable of. Distant footsteps closed in until Thirteen's finest soldiers swarmed us as if ready for a fight. They backed off pretty quickly when they saw me holding Coral in my arms and the anger in my eyes.

' _Take me to Coin. Now_!' had been my single, firm demand. They didn't hesitate to do as I said.

Dropping Coral off at the medical wing was my first goal, one that I did not consider complete until I was sure that Finnick and mom would watch over her in case anybody tried to do anything else to her. Coral whispered out something too weak for me to hear – maybe she was thanking me? - as I started to head off.

The sight of both Tack and Coral, the last two of my lifelong friends still alive, laying wounded and in pain in their hospital beds lit a fire in me and had me storming off to confront Coin on what the hell is going on here.

I very nearly ran into her as she entered the hospital wing. But she wasn't looking guilty or afraid of what I discovered. She wasn't looking anything like how Snow and Lucia would in such a situation either.

She didn't show anything, aside perhaps the faintest trace of annoyance.

After shouting until my throat was burning I ended up being taken away with her and some of her best armed guards, all the way to her office for a private meeting. So now I sit on a chair perhaps three whole sizes too big for me, all alone in this room aside from Coin and four guards armed with sleek, nasty guns.

"What seems to be the problem here?" Coin asks, like nothing were wrong.

"What the hell was that?! Coral was chained up in the basement!" I pause, almost choking on my own breath. "That was straight up torture! You said she was in solitary confinement in the cells. You never said that she was being starved... you had no right to do that!"

"She broke the rules of Thirteen," Coin does nothing more than raise an eyebrow. "She broke the rules and got a punishment for it. In Thirteen routine and regulations are everything. It's the only reason we have survived so long and are in a position to fight in this war. Didn't you agree she deserved to be punished for her reckless display?"

"Yes, but I _never_ suggested she be tortured!" I slam my fist onto the desk, trying to ignore the way her guards cock their rifles, as if preparing to shoot me. "Her parents have been worried, her friends have been worried... I've been worried!"

"Nobody is above the rules," Coin leans ever so slightly closer to me. "Not even you, Mockingjay. I suggest you calm yourself down and be mature about this."

"Wha...?! First of all, we're rebels; our whole mission is to break all of the rules!" I pause, taking a deep breath. "Second, you didn't answer me. You hurt Coral; she was hardly functioning... if she's not cared for and nursed to recover then... then I'll..."

"You'll what?" Coin narrows her eyes, a hint of danger to her tone.

For a moment it's like I'm looking into the steel eyes of a mutt. One worse than any of those I saw in the arenas I was in. I shift in my seat, nervously trying to get my words out. It's hard though with how Coin stares at me, not even blinking. Does she not have to blink or something? Maybe she only blinks when I'm blinking...

I take a deep breath and give her my best glare. For the sake of Coral and any other kid that Coin may feel the urge to lock away in the future I need to be brave.

"I'll step down as the Mockingjay. You need me to win this rebellion," I cross my arms and then my legs for good measure. "Without me you can't do this. Help Coral recover from what you did to her or our agreement ends."

Coin looks taken aback for a moment, flinching for a brief second. But her calm, almost smug glare returns before long. Her guards take a step closer to me.

"We have more Mockingjays than just you. We have spares if you decide to go rogue," Coin speaks smoothly, no trace of any care or warmth to her voice. "But I don't think you have any room to make demands like that or threats like the one you just gave me. Do you honestly think you'll ever see your sister again without us? We still need you... but you completely rely upon us for Ula's safety."

Coin leans across the table. I can't stop myself shrinking back as the rebel leader looks at me, her face slightly red.

"Don't test my patience," she whispers. "The Capitol have Ula under their control. Wouldn't it be a shame if we had an argument that caused everything to go that much slower. Slow enough for Ula to meet a tragic end. Is that really what you want, Urchin?"

"No, no! Of course not!" I hold up my hands in surrender, shaking. "I just wanted Coral to be helped, that's it! Just... just don't hurt my friends. Please, she's one of the only ones I've still got..."

"...Fine. She'll be treated and allowed to be with the rest of you once more, provided she never steps out of line again," Coin gestures to one of her guards. He leaves the room, perhaps to pass on Coin's command to Coral. "Just know that I do not appreciate being told how to run my own District. You might be the Mockingjay among mockingjays, but I remain as the President of Thirteen with or without you."

I leave Coin's office not long after that, my legs feeling horribly shaky. I soon slump against a wall, having to take a few minutes to hold down vomit and catch my breath. It's clear to me now that Coin is clearly not the benevolent, or at least firm and fair, leader that I had assumed her as.

She's cruel and not somebody that I want to cross. Coral snuck out once and was clearly sorry, but her punishment was still awful; starvation and isolation. She was all chained up! I don't dare to imagine what she may do to somebody who pisses her off even worse than that. I wonder, what may she do to me if I don't play the role of a good rebel?

It seems like I have two main choices to make right now. **Obey Coin** and do as she says whether I like it or not. It'd keep Coin from getting mad at us and we'd save Ula faster. She didn't look so good when I saw her on TV earlier.

Of course, I could also **disobey Coin** and show her it's not just her ruling the roost, it's all of us. A free Panem where everybody has their say in things. Who is she to hurt a twelve year old in such a terrible way? Hurting children is what the Capitol does... not the rebels. Not the good guys.

I sigh, knowing that I'll have to obey Coin. The thought of angering her enough that it dooms Ula is easily enough to keep me in line. She knows my weakness; I can't let anything happen to my sister or slow down her rescue.

By the time I get back to the medical wing the rest of the Flock are there as well, all crowded around Coral's bed. Rue is the first to notice how distant I look – being as close as we are, how could she not? Surviving the Hunger Games twice gives us a keen awareness of each other's feelings, I guess - and quickly asks me what's wrong, aside the obvious worry for Coral.

"Rue, promise me something," I take her hand, giving it a squeeze.

"Anything. What is it, Urchin?"

"Never do something that would make Coin angry at you. Trust me, it would end terribly for you and for everybody else," I collapse into a seat beside Coral's bed, my mind drowning with all kinds of nasty thoughts. "We all need to be really, really careful."

"That might be an issue for me," Hopper gives me an almost tragic look. "After this terrible display I really want to make life hell for Coin, even if just for a day."

"Hopper, no. Please, don't do it," I gaze into his eyes, hoping he can see my desperation. "Please, don't do it."

He sighs, relenting. Even with his recent streak of maturity he's got plenty of chaos left in him to unleash and no doubt Boggs' death has put him in a particularly unhappy mood. I guess I can relate; not just for the fact it was sad to lose Boggs, and Pollux too for that matter, but how people I care about have died or been hurt...

It hurts. It hurts so badly.

Eventually curfew arrives and lights out is called. The rest of the Flock head off for bed, Coral's state going a long way towards keeping us all in line. None of us want to go through what she did nor risk the chance of Coin doing it to people we love. My mom already got hit by the guards for trying to get in here to see me once... what if they lock her up as well?

I remain seated where I am beside Coral's bed, starting to see just how deep into this crap I've gotten myself. I can't back out without dooming Ula and Prim. I can't act out without causing the same thing. I can only obey Coin, even after what she did to Coral.

What am I gonna do...

* * *

 **(Time passes...)**

* * *

I wake up to the sound of sobbing. One look at Coral weeping has my springing into action as I move myself beside her, taking her into a gentle hug.

"Let it out," I say.

She does. Coral weeps and sobs, constantly whimpering out apologies and calling herself all kinds of terrible things. She heaves and gasps, almost like she was choking. Before I can yell for a medic, however, she calms slightly and becomes very quiet.

"Oh Urchin..." she trails off for a bit, shivering. "I was stuck there for so long. I... I was scared that I was gonna die."

"I should have found you sooner. I should have..." I sigh, knowing the list of things I should have done is pretty long. I always feel like I could've done better at basically everything since this whole rebellion started. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. You saved me again, after all," she gives me one hell of a broken smile. "No wonder Rue likes you and Dory adored you. You have a habit of saving people."

She flinches, perhaps realising that I failed to save Dory and how much the reminder hurts. I try not to dwell on that thought, nor the thought of how long it took me to get Coral out of her prison. What if I had investigated Electra's claims of hearing a monster sooner than I did?

It's some time before either of us say a thing. We just sit, sit and sit some more. Life's never gonna be back the way it was; even growing up in Four under the Capitol's regime... at least we had a whole gang of friends who weren't in danger of dying or being imprisoned any second. After all, we were not reaping age in those old days.

"Do you remember how we all met?" Coral chuckles as she wipes away tears.

"Our first day of school. I remember it well," I smile, feeling bittersweet at the memories. "Gill wanted to grow up and be the next president."

"Yeah, he did. Dory already wanted to marry you by the time our first recess ended," Coral chuckles, shaky, "I miss those days Urchin."

"I do too," I say, sighing. "So long as we're alive we can still have days like those... maybe. I mean, the rebellion is going well."

"Is is really, though?" Coral balls her fists, laying down. "It's like no matter how many Peacekeepers we beat up there are always more of them."

"Yeah... that's true. But we're getting there; we've got Twelve and Eight firmly on our side. Ten and Nine are free as well. All the rest beside One have anywhere from a few rebels to tons of them. There's a chance that we can win this," I put a hand on Coral's shoulder. "All the sacrifice and pain is gonna mean something."

"I hope you're right," Coral sniffles, her eyes wide and haunted. "Because if you're not..."

"I'm right. Understand? I'm right," I speak firm and confident... though maybe too firm, if Coral's nervous expression is any indicator. "Was I too harsh?"

"It's not that... not really. It's just, you seem different Urchin," Coral trails off, as if wondering what to say next. "You seem a lot angrier."

"Hard not to be after all the crap I've been through," I grimace, grinding my teeth together. "That's ok. It'll be over soon... _soon_..."

One moment I'm starting to imagine what it may be like to get Snow's head on a pike. The next second Coral is snapping her fingers in front of my face, pale faced.

"Urchin, you were zoning out there. Your eyes... they looked different," she fidgets nervously. "It's great that you're tough. It makes me feel safer, you know? But... it's getting scary."

I pause, starting to feel uneasy. So soon after she's been rescued I've already scared Coral. I know that I've been a bit a bit moody lately and feeling a lot of hatred for the Capitol, but am I really becoming scary? I've killed Peacekeepers, sure, but so have others on our side. So has Rue, and she's not what anybody would call scary.

But one look at Coral tells me that I can't act like this is nothing. I should try and be careful how I act... if not for my sake, then at least so Coral can recover peacefully and not feel worried in my presence. I can still vaguely recall that dream – or was it a vision? - where Dory warned me to be careful about my choices.

What did she mean when she said she has 'seen what I will become if I make too many bad choices'? That's the one part I recall with clarity.

"I'll try and keep my temper in check," I force a smile. "See how I'm smiling? I feel better already."

A distraction arrives right on cue. I feel my spirits lifting as Tack sits up in his bed, swaying somewhat. Sick and shaky as he may be, he's alive. Better yet, he's conscious too.

After so long I can finally talk to one of my lifelong friends. I need to while I have the chance... anything could happen in this war torn nation. I glance at Coral, hoping she won't mind me moving on over to Tack.

"Help me over there?" she asks, quietly.

I don't hesitate to carefully assist Coral in getting out of her bed and supporting her as we walk over to Tack. He seems to finally become aware of his surroundings, running his hands through his frizzy red hair and blinking away fatigue. Then he looks at us.

"...Coral... _Urchin_..." he stammers for a few moments, his eyes widening. "You're here... I think? Please tell me this is real."

"It's real Tack," I say, helping Coral side beside Tack and moving around the bed to side on his other side. "The gang, what's left of it, is back together."

And just like that, we start to talk. About our memories of childhood in Four, about the good times we had after I came back victorious from my first Hunger Games, about the time Gill built a sand catapult and nailed the Peacekeepers with it... it's a strange feeling to smile so much at the memories and wanting to cry just thinking about them.

We drift off together eventually, my final conscious thought being how lucky I am to still have Coral and Tack in my life. It's all I can do to make sure I carefully choose my actions and ensure they both survive this war. They've already come so close to death, closer than I ever did.

It feels so strange saying that. I'm the guy who was in two Hunger Games! That's literally as close to dying as a kid can get!

* * *

 **(Two days later...)**

* * *

It's been just about the most tense and uneasy pair of days I've had in a long time. Being stuck indoors in a place overseen by the women who locked Coral away doesn't exactly make recovery and rest easy by any means. Everybody has been in a state of high alert and fear; it's gotten to the point that we're all looking forward to being in the next deadly warzone where we could lose our lives. At least we'd have space to move around and do what we want.

We all crowd around the table as Coin starts off the meeting. The empty space Boggs used to fill is really being felt right now, but Coin looks unaffected. I look away as she turns to where I am seated, our talk two days ago still fresh in my mind.

"Are you alright Urchin?" Rue whispers, laying her hand upon mine.

"About as much as you'd expect," I reply.

Rue gives me a sad look, but before she can say anything the large table has become illuminated with a large hologram of a sprawling city. I can't claim to know what District this is meant to be – I'd guess maybe either Three, Five or Six? - but one excited squeal from Electra clues me in on where this probably is.

"Five! Home! My home," Electra reaches forwards to touch the hologram, her hand passing through it. "Want to see brother and... um... parents. Want them now, please."

"It remains to be seen if that will be viable or not," Coin says, gesturing for Electra to move back. "Hands off the hologram."

Electra does as she is asked, sitting quietly and observing the hologram with wide eyes. Timm lays a hand on her shoulder, though Electra doesn't respond. Like me she wants to know what we're going to be doing. The fact it's her home District certainly has her captivated, far more than I've ever seen her before. She lets out an amazed 'ooohhh' sound as Coin presses a button on her remote, a large structure at the far side of Five illuminating.

"This is the Orion 1. It is the biggest hydroelectric dam in all of District Five," Coin rattles off a few statistics of the units of power it generates, the sort of stuff that loses my attention fast.

While Coin talks about the statistics of the massive dam I glance around at the soldiers and other residents of Thirteen listening in. Victors, commandos, children... nobody looks very happy. Hopper is smouldering where he stands, his grey eyes bitter and lacking much of the mischief and energy I've come to expect.

Coral's situation didn't leave anybody cheering. The knowledge that a child was locked up in the basement and deprived of food, water and pretty much _everything_ has all of us feeling angry at Coin. Her loyal soldiers and place in the rebellion keeps us from really doing anything, but support for her has fallen. The Victors, the recruits from Districts outside of Thirteen and even the Capitol defectors like Cressida all observe her with a certain amount of coldness. I don't miss the fact it's all because of me that this is happening.

I can't help but gulp, wondering what Coin may do in response to this. We're on the same side, I guess, but it's clear we're not friends.

Eventually Coin moves on from the statistics and tells us the goal is to destroy the dam. The idea of bombing it via hovercraft has her merely give off the faintest of scowls.

"Not possible anymore," she presses another button, this time causing two buildings either side of Five to light up. "While the rebel forces were focusing on fighting in Eight, Eleven and Seven it seems the Capitol has set up a forcefield around the dam, much like those that surround Hunger Games arenas. If we're going to take it out then the generators need to be dealt with."

"Why not just bomb them?" Finnick asks. "Seems like a good idea if you ask me."

"The generators are kept underground and are surrounded by all kinds of reinforced walls and armour. We'd have to get a bomb transported inside to the generators to do any damage," Coin frowns, shaking her head. "I'm not a fan of delays either. But we'll just have to deal with it. If we can destroy Orion 1 then the Capitol will lose approximately eighty percent of their power. Destruction of the comparatively minor Machete 2 and Coriolanus 9 will take out an additional fifteen percent and leave them mostly on back-up generators."

"So, we just go in there and blow things up?" I ask, raising my hand. "Seems like the sort of thing we're all pretty good at."

It's true after all. Who could forget the clock tower we blew to bits back in Eight or the way we destroyed the bridge and those tanks in Twelve? It seems like we're almost a professional bombing squad. Whatever ends the war faster I guess.

The mission is simple enough to understand, but probably a lot harder in practise. We split into two teams, one for each generator. After both are confirmed to be destroyed we move on to take out Orion 1. After that, we wait for further instructions.

I've been sorted into the group going for the second generator. Apparently it's slightly better guarded than the first, a detail Coin claims I've proven myself able to handle. Part of me wonders if she's just sending me to the worse generator out of spite.

Just think of Ula, Urchin. Eyes on the main goal here.

I end up assigned to the same group as Valkri, Electra and Rue. Finnick and Hopper give me looks of support, both of them having been put to work on taking out the first generator. All three of the girls look determined, none moreso than Electra.

"Ready to free your home, Electra?" I ask.

"Yes, ready to.. um, save the day and... blow things up... boom," she nods, firm. She balls her fists, her eyes narrowed. "Ready to, um, be a hero like... like Node... yes, ready."

She turns to Timm, her firm pout becoming a sunny smile.

"Ready to go and... um... meet family?" she claps her hands, smiling.

"I'm not going," Timm says, looking upset. "They say that I need more time to recover. I'll be staying here and helping with propos."

Electra's eyes water and her bottom lip quivers. I find it ironic that Timm is disappointed he can't come along with us to the next bloodbath, but being in Eight did wonders for his confidence. Electra seems outright distraught Timm can't come along. Her sniffles and pleas to Coin don't change a thing.

She settles for giving Timm a hug and saying that she'll just bring her family over to meet him. One hug later Timm is left blushing while Electra walks ahead to the hangar. I'm ready to join her, but my own journey is stopped when mom takes me into a firm embrace.

"Don't be reckless," she holds me so tightly that for a moment it's like my air supply is totally gone. "Please, don't take any risks Urchin. You're all I have left..."

"I'll be careful mom," I say once she lets go of me. "And you have Ula too. She'll be coming home soon. She _will_."

We don't talk much before duty calls and I'm practically dragged away by some of the commandos of Thirteen. Mom watches me go with watery, worried eyes until I'm taken around the corner and told to get running. They claim that we're falling behind schedule already.

I only half listen to their chattering of wanting to test out the new quad launcher during the battle ahead. I'm moreso focused on the realisation that mom and I haven't talked in so long. _Really_ talked. We used to be a normal mother and son, talking about everything and anything each and every day. Now I'm a rebel and she's... well, still the same mom she's always been.

But is she, though? I wonder... what does she think of me? Killing in the arena is one thing, but people say I've been getting angrier. More bitter. A lot more negative. Is mom picking up on that at all? Is that making her feel afraid?

Part of me wants to talk with her about it, but the other part of me feels afraid of what she might say if I ask.

"Maybe if we're lucky we can use the quad launcher against Snow himself," one of the commandos says, chuckling. "Imagine that. Having the honour of nailing him in the face with it."

"It'd be satisfying, that's for sure," the other commando says, giving a firm nod of agreement.

 _ **Oh, it certainly would be. Splatter the man like a bug, blow him to bits like**_...

...What was I saying again? I seem to have lost my train of thought. It feels like it's happening more and more every day. I try to ignore the uneasy feelings that build up inside me. For now, I've got work to do.

* * *

 **(Later...)**

* * *

Glancing back and forth between Rue and Valkri has me feeling more on edge than I already was. Neither of the girls are happy, both having wanted to visit their own District first and foremost. Rue fears for the safety of her mother and her siblings while Valkri is insisting that her mother, Minnie and all her cadet friends from the academy need help right away. Of course, both think their own reasons outweigh those of the other and aren't afraid to say so.

Basically, it's only going to end in tears... well, no. It already has. Rue looks down at the ground with tear stains on her cheeks and her shoulders shaking, mumbling inaudibly. Valkri, meanwhile, sits eerily still. Occasionally she lets out a quiet sob, but other than that it's like she's not functioning. Like the lights are on but nobody is home.

"Valkri... are you ok?" I ask, unsure what sort of response I might get.

She shakes her head, sniffles and goes back to being silent. Any further attempts I make at speaking to her are met with a wall of silence. I get the message quickly, she wants me to leave her alone. I mumble a few words of comfort before turning to Rue.

"We'll be in Eleven soon," I give her what I hope is a comforting look. "We'll be in and out of Five, easy."

"You don't know that," Rue says, barely speaking above a grim mutter. "Anything could be happening to them. They could be... they could be _dead_ , Urchin."

"They... might not be," I swallow hard, all too aware of how right Rue is. They might be dead and we'd not even know.

Actually, maybe we would know about it. Rue is perhaps Snow's most hated person in Panem – ok, second only to myself – and he would want her to feel hurt. To make her feel powerless. He already threatened me with my family, so he'd do the same with Rue. But... he'd surely confirm their deaths on a broadcast, or even a live execution, to really twist the knife.

The idea of Rue's family dying and it not being broadcast for all to see doesn't fit with what I've come to expect of Snow. It's not cruel enough... but how can I say this to Rue? Surely such wording would only make her feel worse, right?

Oh boy, she looks like she's expected a better answer really soon. I'll just go for it and see what happens.

"Uh... yeah, they might not be dead," is all I manage to say.

As Rue turns away to stare at the wall I slap my palm to my forehead. Of all the things to say... I somehow chose that useless dribble? Stupid!

I glance around at the others seated around us, hoping that one of them may add something to this. Just a few words to raise our spirits before the mission that lays ahead. The soldiers have nothing much to say, aside a quiet mutter here and there about not wanting to die. Magnus says nothing from his spot beside Valkri, more concerned with letting Valkri hide her face away in his shoulder. The only one who gives any response is Logger, the snakey Victor of the Sixty First Hunger Games looking at us with a look I cannot quite say I understand... or like.

It's almost like he's worried. Doubtful, even. Shaking his head he swiftly looks away, quick to pretend we made no eye contact.

I note that Magnus seems to feel a certain sense of caution around Logger. I didn't see his Games live, just reruns of footage. He was the backstabber of Seven, the traitor. The Victor his own District did not like.

That's what they say, anyway. I just thought he was slimy, but this is war now. A true, real, awful war. Suddenly things like killing tributes in an arena doesn't seem to hold quite the same feeling of horror it once did.

We're in the big leagues now. I can only hope standing at four feet and nine inches at my last measurement is big enough to be level with it.

"Prepare for landing," says the pilot over the intercom. "Your contact will meet you on ground level. Four minutes until arrival."

Who is out contact anyway? I must have missed that part. I glance left and right, weighing up who would be the better person to ask between Rue and Valkri. I turn to Rue, gently nudging her.

"Yeah?" she glances at me with tired, jaded eyes.

"Who is the contact the pilot is talking about? I missed that part," I cover my face with a hand. "I zoned out, sorry."

"I don't know. Coin never told us," Rue starts to load up her rifle as she speaks. "I guess we'll just look for the biggest badass once we land and follow their lead?"

A fine plan overall. Not like we have much else to go on besides 'run and gun'. I begin loading up my own rifle, getting myself in the state of mind for the looming battle. All that matters is destroying that generator and those who try to stop us. That's all I can allow myself to think.

Thoughts of Dory's warning and the worries of what mom thinks of me start worming their way into my soul. Do I have to shoot to kill? I felt so horrified when I caused Pike to die... what happened to that horror?

Maybe I could give non-lethal shooting a try. Just... just to balance things out, if that's even possible. It might stop me crossing any lines.

"Ready to get started?" Rue forces a grim, hallowed smile. "I'm not."

"Me neither... but as we have no choice, let's make the best of it," I reach for her hand, giving it a hard squeeze. "Just in case we... never get another chance."

Rue gives me a hug and I return it in an instant. Valkri's annoyed grumbles mixed with a hiccup of depression have us quick to break apart. She looks away, trying to play it off like nothing. She doesn't fool me.

"I'm sure we'll be in District Two sooner than later," I say, sympathetic.

Valkri doesn't respond, though whether it's due to anger or sadness I cannot tell. The hovercraft begins to descend, the sounds of the fierce battle below getting louder with every passing second. Electra shivers, balling her fists.

"Want Timm... no, strong... will be strong and, um, make Timm proud..." Electra takes a deep breath in and lets it all out. "We can... we can win."

Oh, Electra, how I sure hope you are right. Because defeat isn't an option for me. Not for any of us, not with what will surely happen to us.

* * *

 **(One landing later...)**

* * *

We land in the courtyard of a disused power plant just as a squad of Peacekeepers run away screaming in terror. They don't stop their retreat even as the hovercraft touches down and lets us all out. Not even a half hearted attempt at shooting us... weird.

A battle was clearly fought here. What else could've caused all the bodies to lay so still on the tarmac, both Peacekeeper and soldier alike? Many of the Peacekeeper bodies lack bullets, instead showing signs of being bludgeoned by something.

I don't get to think it over for more than a few seconds. A shout fills the air before I can ask if anybody knows where our contact is and a Peacekeeper runs into our sight. He has a gun, but it's not pointed at us. If anything he looks scared out of his mind, shouting and screaming as he flees after the rest of his squad.

It feels so... wrong that a muscular man like that is screaming so shrilly.

Of course, a moment later I see exactly what he was running from. Or, rather, _who_. A blur of brown and orange tackles him and pins him down like an animal. I get a clear look at the women who leers down at him. Her hair is one massive bright orange mane, her outfit looks more suited for a farm than anything a resident of Five may do and in her right hand she holds her weapon of choice.

A shoe? Wait... oh... ohhhhh... oh no, that poor man...

"Oh ho, so you thought that you could run away from Agent Boot like a fine howdy do, he-who-cries? Is this a game to you?!" the women cackles, gripping her shoe tighter. "Well then man of fine biceps, let's play a game! A one shoe beating!"

The Peacekeeper yells for mercy but the shot begins to slam him in the face over and over. We stand in awe and more than a bit of horror. We can't watch, but nobody is looking away. Rue takes my hand again while Electra nervously moves behind me.

It's just as well she did as the women, whom I know all too well, pouts at the Peacekeeper and takes a second shoe from her weapon belt.

"That not enough? Well then, allow the daughter of a Sheppard to present you the powerful two shoe beating snake-in-the-grass Peacekeeper! Take this! Hyah!" the women bellows some kind of bizarre war cry and keeps going.

Valkri mutters a curse and takes Magnus' hand. Magnus himself isn't doing so well, hardly able to bare the sight he is witnessing. I can't claim I am either, the two shoe beating making me want to throw up.

The Peacekeeper remains alive, though by now he's moaning and shouting for somebody to kill him quick. The woman huffs, crossing her arms as she pouts childishly.

"Is this a test?! Is he-who-cries thinking he can just be walking this one off?" she starts to smirk, giggling in outright mischief. "Tell me then... have you ever experienced the _**ALMIGHTY THREE SHOE BEATING**_?!"

Before any of us can react, perhaps to plead for her to spare the Peacekeeper, the women grips a third shoe in her teeth and begins smacking up the Peacekeeper with her trio of deadly weapons. It only ends when Magnus fumbles for his gun and fires a bullet into the Peacekeeper's head.

Just like that all is silent and the women, still with a shoe in her mouth, turns to look at us.

I'm not sure what I expected to feel when looking into the eyes of Pasture – the Victor of the Fifty Ninth Hunger Games – but perhaps I should have figured it would be terror. This crazy women is the holder of the kill record. Not Brutus. Not Mascara. Just a kooky hillbilly from District Ten who beat twelve tributes to death with a shoe.

I swallow my bile, worried. What's she doing here? Why is she not back in Ten? Maybe when she takes the shoe out of her mouth we might just get an answer.

All is silent until somebody, maybe Logger, asks if Pasture is our contact.

"Ya-huh! That's me," Pasture spits out the shoe and holds the other two like they were a pair of knives. "I've been travelling all around Panem since the cow shit hit the fan. Been using grandpappy's rifle and my shoes to fight the good fight against they-who-scream Peacekeepers! Got here about two days ago and I've hardly stopped using my shoes since then."

Myself and my squad stand in an awkward silence, wondering what to say next. What exactly can one say after first meeting somebody like Pasture? I mean, besides plead for mercy like that boy from Two did who placed second in her Games.

"So, are we going to... um... kick butt? Blow crap up?" Electra says, stepping forwards. "Want to destroy generator, pretty please."

"Well aren't you just the cutest child soldier ever," Pasture giggles in a way I'd not expect from the Hunger Games kill record holder. "The generator is ten miles that-a-way. Guarded pretty well by mutt-in-the-grass Peacekeepers, so you might wanna follow the advice I lived by in my Hunger Games."

Against my better judgement I decide to ask Pasture what this advice actually is. She's an accomplished fighter, enough so that she may know fighting techniques we'd never figure out ourselves.

Her answer of 'don't ever die, never ever' leaves me more than a bit disappointed. But, at least she's not the sort to overcomplicate things. Pasture gives us the order to follow her through the broken streets of Five towards the distant generator. I follow along with the group, having no other options right now.

I know Pasture is on our side, but I can't help being nervous around her. As we take the long way around a set of lorries that lay mangled and ablaze she gestures for me to walk beside her. I do as she asks, wondering what she could want with me.

"Nice to meet you he-who-scowls Mockingjay," she ruffles my curls, giving me a toothy grin. "You look nervous, but why could this be for the pain-in-Snow's-backside boy that you are?"

"Well, uh... you kind of killed twelve people with a shoe," I shudder at the memories of the reruns I saw of Pasture's Games.

"And you've killed more than twelve people in this war in a variety of ways, he-who-groans Urchin," she giggles again. "What's your point?"

"Maybe I don't have one," I say, glancing up at the fiery sky. "Or maybe it's just that the 'shoe method' kind of drew things out a bit? It was... special."

"So says you and all of Panem, but did I have much other choice?" Pasture shrugs, starting to juggle her shoes. "The only other weapons they gave us were metal gauntlets and grandpappy always said to never trust a metal glove."

We don't talk much after that, just the occasional back and forth about the war so far. She expresses sympathy for my sister in captivity, I mention how it was honestly kind of awesome that she had the Peacekeepers running scared with only a shoe... I start to see she's not quite as scary as I'd assumed for the years I've known she existed.

But she's crazy though, that much I cannot have my mind changed on. Pasture doesn't deny it either, just claiming that if she had a cap for every time somebody called her mad she'd be even richer than she already is. I guess the Victor stipend makes her the most wealthy hillbilly in existence right now.

"Bad guys... um, trouble looming..." Electra grips her soldier beret closer to her head. "Fight or, um... flight?"

"Where are they Electra?" I ask.

She points ahead to an area beyond the toppled, broken pylons. We all cluster around them, peering over the other side of the wreckage. It looks like a typhoon passed through this place; all around us are the remnants of what may have been a power yard of some kind. Maybe even a few houses, the owners either dead or long gone from the area.

It's a special sort of depressing that, as bad as it is around here, it's still better than Four. At least Five still exists.

"Bad men... maybe follow them? Probably, um, based near generator..." Electra fumbles with her taser, hugging it like it were a teddy.

"I have just the thing," Pasture yanks another shoe from her pocket, one with a sort of sniper scope duct taped onto it. "Sniper shoe. Kicks harder than nana's beer."

Wut.

"Is it just me, or do those Peacekeepers look... different?" I say, peering over to them. "Look, the armour seems a little different. It's not white, it's... kind of greyish white. Plum red at the gloves too."

"Still people we have to overcome one way or the other," Logger glances around at the soldiers. "We gonna fire at them? Valkri, you want first crack at them?"

Valkri shakes her head. She's been silent ever since we got off the hovercraft, but it's not the same kind of silence she had before and during most of the Quell. It's straight up depression, the tears in her eyes getting through every so often. What should I say to her?

"...Valkri, you hanging in there?" I sigh, knowing it's not the smoothest of words to pick.

"No," she says, short and sour.

I leave it at that, knowing my company is not wanted right now. I look at Rue, my girlfriend giving me a shrug. I think it's clear we cannot really do anything right now, not when Peacekeepers are just over there and the generator is not far beyond them.

I'm cut off from suggesting to Valkri that we talk together after this mission. Several of the soldiers are hissing for Electra to come back. I turn sharply, seeing her climbing to the top of the stack of broken pylons.

"Electra, get back here," I say the words harsher than I may need to, but can you blame me? She could get shot! "They'll kill you!"

Electra doesn't listen, instead peering carefully out at the Peacekeepers squad. It's as if a lightbulb goes off in her mind for some unknown reason.

"Zip zap zoom!"

I freeze, bewildered by the fact she just called out to the Peacekeepers. Nobody around me has any idea what she can do. Rue mouths what Electra just said, lost. I shrug at her, not quite sure what Electra meant either. Is 'zip zap zoom' some kind of slang from Five?

We all ready our weapon for the battle, but no gunshots come our way. Not even a single warning shot from a small pistol. I make the move to get up beside Electra and bring her out of shooting range, but she squirms from my grasp.

"Zip zap zoom! Node, Node! You there... Node? It's me, um... sister!"

I catch a glimpse of the Peacekeepers looking our way. The six of them stare and slowly lower their weapons. The most burly among them steps forth, his every footsteps practically making the ground rumble – no wonder why, he's at least seven feet tall! - as he looks towards Electra.

Quick as a flash he takes off his helmet, revealing his blonde hair and relieved eyes. The resemblance to Electra is unmissable.

"Bip bap boom!" he calls out, laughing in glee. "Electra!"

Electra squeals in delight, scrambling over the pylons and running to her brother. He charges away from his comrades and towards his little sister, the gap becoming narrower with every second. I can't help smiling at the reunion between the Mauve siblings.

"Seems like we've accomplished something today," I remark. "One family just got reunited."

"Too bad it's not mine," Rue says, trying her hardest to put on a smile. "Or yours."

"Or mine," Valkri adds. "...Five is close to Two, right? I'm sure it is."

I ponder this. I recall seeing the map of Panem on the wall poster every day back in school, always keenly aware of Four being the furthest District to the south. Seven was up to the north where a place called 'Oregon' once existed. Three was below that, Eight all the way across to the east with Twelve to the north of it. But where was Five again? I've had so much on my mind that recalling a school poster is becoming oddly hard.

Um... aha! That's right, Two was directly south of the Capitol and Five was north-east, sharing a border with the Capitol. Apparently they needed Five to be right beside it to ensure they were always powered at every minute of the day. Seems the obvious answer to give Valkri is 'yes'.

Saying exactly that gives me pause, confused at the way Valkri's eyes light up and suddenly harden.

"...You ok Valkri? I know I've asked before, but... I don't know, you want to talk? Looks like we aren't fighting after all just yet," I move a little closer to her. "Something on your mind?"

"Yeah, you look a lot more lively just now," Rue adds, nodding. "It's nice to see."

A harsh sound whistles through the air before we can say anything else. Shouts for us to get down echo around us, explosions following a moment later. My head feels horribly warm, practically burning, as a rocket impacts the ground so close to us.

I only live to this moment because of the soldier who threw himself into the path of the explosive.

"Urchin, you're hot!" Rue shouts.

I turn to Rue, staring at her as she lays on the ground across from me. All the screams and pain come second to how confused I suddenly feel.

"You're _flirting_ with me?" I ask, staring. " _ **Now**_ of all times?!"

"No Urchin! Your curls are on fire!" she fumbles for a bottle of water. "Your hair's on fire Urchin!"

I scream, the flames suddenly feeling so much more real and painful. I dunk my head in the nearest bucket of water I can see, not sparing a thought on if it's actually fuel. Too late for me if it's fuel; no ignition, thank goodness, but surely my head will be left with burn marks after this, the kind that may never fade.

Burn marks seem irrelevant once I get a decent look at what's going on here.

It's another ambush, Peacekeepers in typical ivory white uniforms firing upon us. Rifles and rocket launchers are their weapons of choice, weapons that have several soldiers laying dead and some of the Peacekeepers of Five laying mangled, no doubt wishing they _were_ dead. In the chaos I can see Node carrying Electra in his arms towards a nearby building.

Logger yells something about 'every man for himself' and flees in a separate direction, two Peacekeepers in hot pursuit. I stand just in time to come face to face with a big, mean looking Peacekeeper. I duck as he swings the barrel of his gun where my head had been, driving a knife into his leg. He collapses with a scream.

I try to ignore the gunfire and panic and focus on the fact I'm alive and so is the Peacekeeper. Non-lethal, just like I said I'd try for.

"I'll take care of them!" Pasture somehow cocks her sniper shoe like a gun, leaping to her feet. "All your are belong to Agent Boot, you-who-die Peacekeeper swine fellas!"

Guns shoot fast, but I witness proof that Pasture throws faster. The shoe hurtles away, screams echoing in its wake, until it boomerangs right back to Pasture's waiting hand, dripping with blood. She doesn't break a sweat, not even as two rockets collide above us and rain down fire.

"Over here!" Node yells to us, desperate. "Come on!"

"Come! Uh, be safe!" Electra calls out, sounding even more frantic. "Run, run! Uh, go fast!"

Running fast is no problem for me. I'm like a blur upon the waves as I barrel for the safety of the building. Only after I've leapt through the window do I realise that, in my hurry to escape the bullets and bombs, I left Rue and Valkri behind.

Leaving my girlfriend in a warzone... this is exactly what men in Four say is the sort of thing that gets men sent to the 'fish tank'.

I squeal as Rue leaps through the window and lands right on top of me. It's a few moments of scrambling around before she gets off me, sending an apologetic look my way.

"Sorry Urchin!" she drops down beside me as more gunfire rings out beyond the walls of the building. "Better a squad than a stab at least, right?"

I don't manage to say anything in response before Valkri leaps in and lands on me, another squeal escaping me. A moment later somebody else jumps in, no doubt a burly soldier based on how heavy they are _**ohcrapithurts**_!

More and more explosions begin to echo as the world fades away, pain filling up all my body until suddenly I feel nothing...

* * *

 **(Time passes...)**

* * *

"Ur... up, wake... chin... wake up!"

Everything is so floaty and distant. I feel like I'm on a boat, or is my head just spinning all over the place? Five more minutes...

"Wake up Golilocks!"

My eyes snap open. Rue looks down at me,worry etched into her eyes. She helps me to my feet, steadying me before I fall over. The sky has gone from clouds holding back sunshine to a dull sort of orange; how long was I out for?

"What happened?" I ask.

"You got knocked out. A certain somebody who had too much bread for breakfast fell on you," she shoots a sour look towards a nearby soldier. "Somebody who still hasn't apologised, may I add!"

"I said sorry like ten times!" the solider yells, defensive. "Sorry for being more focused on not dying?"

Rue shakes her head as she returns to checking me over. She soon seems satisfied that I'm not bleeding or broken, moving to hold me close. For a time neither of us speak.

"It feels like I could lose you any second of any day," she audibly gulps, a queasy look on her face. "The thought makes me feel sick, Urchin."

"Takes more than a heavy grown man to kill me," I force a weak smile. "If career tributes, mutts, gamemakers and several types of bombs have all failed to kill me then I think being knocked out by a big guy won't do it either."

"I guess you're right," Rue says, slowly loading a few bullets into her rifle.

"So... anything much happen while I was out of it?" I ask.

"Well, you've been unconscious for two hours. The Peacekeepers who attacked us either died or ran away when Pasture ran at them with four shoes... that women is terrifying Urchin," Rue gulps again, her face paling ever so slightly.

"Tell me about it," I join her in flinching. "Imagine undergoing the 'almighty three shoe beating'."

We both shudder. I glance around, noting that we're still in the same building as before. Several of the soldiers who remain alive sit around and bandage their wounds. Some light up a possibly final smoke or knock back a likely final drink. Valkri sits by the door with a short sword in her hands. Her eyes are narrowed... what could be on her mind? Something has changed in her from how she was acting earlier...

She notices me looking and quickly glances away, almost a bit... guilty. I grow more suspicious, wondering what I may be able to say to her. Perhaps it's better for me to do nothing.

"Everybody ok? I mean, besides the dead soldiers..." I peer outside the window, shaking my head at all the bodies. "I tried to be non-lethal this time."

"You did, but the rest didn't," Rue replies. "...I'm proud of you for trying."

"Thanks. Is Electra alright? Cressida too?" I persist.

"Electra is fine. Actually, more than just 'fine'. She's been much happier ever since she found her brother; she keeps making happy sounds and is pretty insistent that she wants Node to meet Timm. Heh, I think that girl's falling in love without even realising it," Rue giggles for a moment. "Think Timm can handle Node? He's... kind of huge."

"Well, Timm handled himself in Eight..." I can't help lightly snickering at the thought of Node towering over Timm, telling him to treat Electra right. As if he'd do anything else. "What about Cressida?"

"She took an arrow to the knee. Some fancy electric crossbow or something, it looked pretty painful. She said she's fine, but..." Rue gives an uneasy shrug. "I don't think 'fine' is enough anymore."

"I think you're right. Really, was 'fine' ever enough?" I let out a deep sigh. "So, are we going to go and take out the generator?"

"We will as soon as everybody's patched up their wounds. Not much longer until that happens," Rue moves a little closer to me. "I guess until then we can just... sit, y'know?"

"Yeah... sitting sounds good right now," I say, moving a few in inches closer to Rue.

"You sure? You don't sound so happy," she says.

"Do any of us? I mean, besides Electra," I glance over to where Electra sits on her brother's shoulders, chattering and humming happily. A pang of jealousy passes through me. "She looks so content, doesn't she?"

"I wish I had my family all together," Rue sighs, hands over her head. "Any day now..."

"Any day now," I repeat. "...It's Valkri. She just seems... I don't know. It's just something in her eyes. Any idea what I mean?"

Rue takes a look at Valkri. The career kid doesn't look our way for even a moment, but the gears in her mind are certainly turning. It's just like some kind of a mystery wrapped in an enigma coated in shrimp meat.

It's a District Four phrase. Sounds less odd if you grew up in my area.

"I guess she just has a lot on her mind. I know I do and I _super_ know that you do," Rue begins to fiddle around her her hair as she talks. "Maybe she just needs time alone?"

"Maybe," I stretch out. "Or maybe... hey, you hear that?"

Sure enough the sounds of beeping and static are coming from nearby. So close in fact that it's practically coming from me... ah, of course, the walkie talkie.

"This is Urchin. What's going on?" I ask, answering the call.

" _Just felt that you should know we'll be taking a while to destroy the first generator_ ," Finnick says, no doubt dozens and dozens of miles away. " _A bit of an infestation going on in the area_."

"Infestation? You mean mutts?" I can't help wondering what mutts it might be; more Groaners and Air Screamers?

" _Mutts galore. Mostly dog mutts, bird mutts and some pretty nasty lizard mutts_ ," Finnick pauses, letting out a hitched breath. " _They smelt like roses and were screaming my name and yours. There must have been hundreds of them_."

"But you're ok, right?" I pause, nervous. "Is Hopper alive?"

" _He's fine for now_ ," Finnick lets out a yell as something explodes from near him, the blast echoing through the walkie-talkie and making my ear throb. " _Can't talk for long, Peacekeepers are joining the mutts. Just expect to wait a while before we all head for the dam. And be careful in case you see_ _ **it**_!"

"It?" I exchange a nervous look with Rue, Finnick's words making me all the more wary. "What is 'it' Finnick?"

" _Some kind of lizard mutt. It's massive_... _tough skin_..." the signal begins to weak, Finnick's voice ever harder to hear over the explosions. " _Split head_... _gunfire_... _futile_... _run_... _tell Annie_...!"

Another explosion rings out, the transmission dying an instant later. Nothing but soft static comes from the walkie-talkie. I shake it around, hoping to make the damn thing work again.

"Finnick? Finnick! Uncle, talk to me!" I must sound desperate, maybe even pathetic. Frankly, I don't care.

There's nothing. I put the walkie-talkie away, silent even as Rue tries to comfort me. I look at her, surprised when she shrinks back from me. Do I really look that angry and upset? ...I don't like making Rue feel afraid. Forcing a smile is getting painful, but at least it's not quite so bad as scaring the girl who has been with me for this whole thing.

I'm silent up to when we begin to leave our cover and make the trek to the generator. I remain silent even as we begin to march through the broken streets and towards our goal. I don't make a sound even as a hovercraft is shot down from the sky half a mile away, the fiery explosion roaring out for all to hear.

Maybe it's fear, maybe it's shame, maybe it's tranquil fury... maybe some part of it is a respectful silence for Logger. He vanished without a trace and already the soldiers, and Pasture, are adding him to the list of Victors who are dead.

* * *

 **(Not much later...)**

* * *

We finally made it. The generator is just up ahead within a Peacekeeper base, one guarded by a ridiculous number of anti-hovercraft turrets and many, many soldiers. They march about with their weapons held tightly.

It's an intimidating sight, but not one that will keep me from doing what I've gotta do. That generator dies today.

It's not just the generator though. Another broadcast began not long ago, one that continues to be broadcast into the sky above us. It's unmissable and while I'd love to ignore it and start to the assault... it's not easy when the broadcast is confirming more deaths. Soldiers of merit that I never had the chance to meet, rebel figures from within the Districts and the Capitol itself – Prim's stylist, the one who had her chariot on fire, was confirmed to be killed not five minutes ago – and even Victors.

I never knew Neon, but surely all of Five did. Seeing Ron confirmed as deceased, however... that hurts. Even the fact he is named as a 'terrorist who took five valiant men down with him, supporting Urchin the traitor' doesn't make the pain end. He'd been on my side start to finish. First Mags, not Ron... this is _**enough**_.

It wasn't the only shock. The broadcast continues, all of us watching it from our spot amongst the wrecked cars near our mission objective, and shows footage of a small girl my own age. The same girl who survived the child execution several long, painful days ago.

Minnie, Valkri's friend. Valkri gasps from her spot beside me, muttering frantically - too frantic for me to understand. She stares without any signs of blinking, lost in worry. I wave a hand in front of her eyes, gaining no result.

I feel myself tensing up and my blood running hot as the narrator to the broadcast changes from a generic reporter I never heard of to a voice I know far too well.

 _ **President Snow, you slimy little snake... when I get my hands on you...**_

"Ow! What the heck?" I give Electra a slightly annoyed look.

"You looked scary and... um... not sweet... flicked scariness away... worked, maybe?" she wrings her hands, moving to stand closer to Node.

I don't say anything else. I'm not going to start shouting at Electra when Node is right there, probably able to crush me underfoot if he wanted to. It was just a flick anyway, I have bigger issues anyway.

Issues like focusing on the broadcast, the camera having panned out a bit to show that Minnie is within a train and seated at a table with Peacekeepers.

" _As reward for her cooperation, good behaviour and the overall lack of severe rebellion within District Two it's a pleasure of mine to announce that Minnie Clayton is on her way home_ ," President Snow says, calm and cool. " _She'll be given an armed escort of trusted Peacekeepers until the rebellion has been quelled, a protective measure in case rebels were to approach her with harmful intent. Remember, the benevolent Capitol will always be there to protect those who respect and love it. Lay down your weapons and embrace the Capitol who guides, protects and loves you_."

I blink rapidly as a hand waves in front of my eyes. I was so overcome with hatred towards Snow I'd not even noticed that the broadcast finally ended. I look at Rue, her eyes filled with concern and a bit of fear too. All those around me seem similarly worried, or at least a little uncertain. Even massive, powerful Node looks at me with a certain sort of concern.

I'm not scary, am I? Of course not, I'm just me. Urchin Hook, a boy with a mission. What's so frightening about my shrimpy appearance?

Do my burnt curls look _**that**_ bad?

"So, how do we get in there?" I eventually ask.

It's silence that answers me until Electra raises her hand, waving it about.

"Zip zap zoom," she says.

"Exactly as the girl says," Node adds. "More specifically we zip in, zap them with all kinds of firepower and zoom out once we set down bombs."

"Do you have bombs?" I ask.

Node and Electra hold up armfuls of custom made explosives. Seems like they got busy while I was unconscious...

"We just need to get close enough to make sure the explosion destroys the generator," Node says. "...It's a good thing we found each other, Mockingjay. I was worried this would be my squad's last patrol. With all of us here, we might survive this."

"Better together... together, um, forever," Electra adds.

I couldn't agree more. It's always better to be together, together with the people you love and would never wish to be in a world without. The quicker I destroy that generator, the quicker I can be back together with Ula.

"Let's do this," I glance at Cressida. "Get that camera rolling, some really serious inspiration for the rebels is coming up."

* * *

 **(Not particularly much later...)**

* * *

It was hardly the entrance that I had expected to make. I guess by this point of my life I should stop expecting things to ever be anything close to normal. Even without the Hunger Games changing my life forever there were always plenty of things keeping me from having a normal life.

I remember the time I tried to throw Dory a surprise party when she turned ten. It's something nobody speaks of for very good reason.

Anyway, I'd figured that we would sneak into the Peacekeeper's base and take them out by surprise one by one. I was wrong.

Instead here I am holding onto Pasture's back with one hand as she rockets down a hastily set-up zipline - a harpoon on a cord fired from the rooftop - firing off shots down at the enemy forces below with my other hand. The sight of the shoe demon from the Fifty Ninth Hunger Games has the Peacekeepers wary, the spiked boot in her free hand only adding to the effect.

On the ground are the rest of the soldiers and the Flock, all making a charge for our goal. Only Electra and Cressida stayed behind, the former on Node's pleading and the latter to film what happens.

' _Want to help! Not, uh... not weak_!' were Electra's words.

' _You're the only one here I trust to guard the perimeter, little spark_ ' had been Node's response.

It was clear that Node just doesn't want Electra to get hurt, not after they were apart for so long. But the way Electra saluted and vowed to be the best guard there ever was... she looks up to her brother so much. I wonder if Ula still looks up to me... she does, doesn't she? Yeah... of course.

Right?

I'm jerked from my thoughts as Pasture detaches from the zipline and drops down below, a particularly burly Peacekeeper soon crushed below our combined weight.

He screams shrilly, so much so that my ears feel like they're about ready to burst. He must know there is no escaping from the 'almighty three shoe beating'.

"I can see you've got this under control, so... I'll just go on ahead then?" I say, slowly inching away from Pasture as she readies her shoes.

"Go for it! Go for the gold and the glory curls-on-fire fish boy!" she shouts, starting to wallop the poor Peacekeeper with the shoes. "Peel your onions and cry, little man!"

I hold back the urge to vomit and make a run for the cluster of rebel soldiers firing shots off at enemy forces in the windows of the building up ahead. Safety in numbers, as true now as it was back in my first Hunger Games.

"Out of my way!" Valkri screams, trying to get around the soldiers guarding her and towards the Peacekeepers just up ahead. "The sooner we win the sooner we can go!"

"Private First Class Rune, control yourself!" one soldier of many shouts out, trying to keep Valkri from getting too deep into the battle. "We can't lose you!"

"I'll be fine, I scored an eleven for damn good reason," her tone turns frosty, her eyes darkening. "Let. Me. Fight."

They let her forth at the exact moment a dog mutt charges for her. A Groaner! It doesn't last long, leaping right upon Valkri's sword. She continues swinging her sword wildly, a frenzy of bloodlust taking her over. As she screams, swears and even deflects the odd bullet here and there with her blade I start to remember why I was scared of her when I first saw her on the reaping recaps.

...Is that what I act like when I lose control of myself?

I shout, the sudden prick in my neck taking all of my focus. Yanking it out is the easy part. Moving around after that quickly becomes the hard part. Everything starts to become distant and slowed down.

What's... happening...?

A tranquilliser! No, no, no! Not one of those darts, not in the middle of a gunfight!

I can't die, not when Ula hasn't been saved yet. Not... yet... have to keep... going...

Pain explodes in my right hand. Blood trickles like a river from my palm, my kneels buckling from the feel of it soon after. I vaguely hear explosions and people running towards me, but it's all distant. Once again I feel like everything is fading fast...

"Urchin... help... take him... bandage... love him...!"

I gurgle out something that probably doesn't even sound like a word. One cough and a few drops of blood later I finally let darkness take me away...

* * *

 **(Later...)**

* * *

I sit up I a flash, looking left and right fast enough to nearly give myself whiplash. I cry out a moment later, pain flaring through my right hand. I look down at it, gingerly moving my fingers around. Nothing seems broken, but all the bloodstained bandages can't be good... I'm getting so disaster prone. What's wrong with me?

The battlefield from earlier is gone. Instead of a tarmac yard full of death and smoke billowing from buildings I'm in a fairly cheap looking room with hardly any furniture. Really, there's nothing here besides my equipment and a mattress I've been laid down upon.

"Geez, how long was I out for? I missed so much," I sigh, seeing that the sun has already set outside the window. "Wait, where is this room? Where's everybody else?"

If not for the fact I still have my supplies I would believe I'd been taken prisoner. I guess that means the rebels won the battle and took out the generator. That or we ran for our lives and somebody took me with them. I'm not sure what's more likely.

I brace myself for a vicious fight when the door opens, only relaxing when my visitor turns out to be Rue. She is tailed by Node, and Electra, the latter riding on the shoulders of the former.

"Oh, you're awake. Thank goodness," Rue wraps her arms around me for a moment. "This is becoming more than just a bad habit, Urchin."

"It's never on purpose, Rue," I say, glancing off to the side. "What happened to me hand? I can't remember... all the passing out is leaving me with a lot of memory gaps."

"You got shot in your palm. The bullet almost went right through it," Rue replies, grimacing. "The medics still alive did their best for you, but you might want to keep that hand away from danger for a few days."

"I'll do my best," I say, nodding. I flinch, my scalp starting to sear a little. Putting a hand to my head makes me realise it's bandaged as well. "Uh... what happened to my head? Did I... get scalped?"

"Burns. Not fun, all burnt and... um... not good," Electra covers her face. "Gotta heal."

"She's right, you took a bit of nasty burning to your scalp. Partly from your curls being set on fire, partly from remnants of a fire bomb. Point is you need to keep those bandages on so the healing cream can do its job," Node passes me a helmet with a slight crack running through it. "I'd advise never taking this off."

"Sure, fine by my," I say, putting the helmet on fast. "So, uh... did we win the battle or were we just lucky enough to get away."

"The generator is destroyed," Node says, kneeling to let Electra get off his shoulders. "My comrades got lucky and threw a few of the bombs in just the right places. After the initial explosions made half the building collapse the Peacekeepers retreated... for now."

"How many of our side died?" I ask, wondering who among us has joined the dead. Valkri is absent... did she...?

"We're still trying to put names to bodies," he says, frowning in dismay. "Let's just say that taking out the dam is going to be a lot harder if we don't get reinforcements soon. We don't know the status of the other squad yet."

"Aren't they done yet?" I sit myself up straighter, staggering to my feet. "Wasn't their generator easier to destroy... well, sorta?"

"Mutts," Node says, simply. "Until they send word that they've destroyed the generator we're gonna be staying here."

"Well..." I glance around at the room. "Where exactly is 'here'?"

"Home!" Electra says, bouncing on her heels. "Here is, um, home. Homely home..."

"It's my place," Node explains. "The war has missed the apartment block so far, so... make yourselves at home until we get the call to move on."

"Home!" Electra adds, leaving the room suddenly. "Soda. Soda please."

"Not the grape one, you know what it does to you," Node says, following after Electra. He glances back at me before he goes. "Rest easy Urchin... and thank you. Thank you. You kept my sister safe in that arena. Without you..."

"It was my pleasure," I say, a shy feeling starting to creep over me. "Just... just doing my best, you know?"

"Well, keep doing your best," he says, giving me a warm smile. "Thanks for covering for me. I'd have been there in that tundra if I could have found a way, but since it was impossible... thanks."

I'm left alone with Rue and for a time all is silent. I'm not sure what to say, and she's clearly not so sure either. It's been a day of fighting and other such action, but it feels like little has changed. I wasn't there to really do much to help with the generator destruction.

They did it without me. It makes me feel more upset than it should... they didn't need me to complete our part of the mission. I try telling myself it hardly matters who destroyed the generator so long as it's gone, but the bitter feelings remain.

"Are you ok?" Rue asks. "Want to talk?"

"Well... next time we hold hands, can you hold my left one? The right one needs rest," I say, the joke probably the most forced thing in all of Panem.

"Nice one," she says, faking a soft laugh. "...You got lucky Urchin. I did too, you know? One soldier through himself in front of the shot that would have killed me."

"Did he...?" I can't finish the sentence.

"He's alive, but he's not woken up. He's pretty weak right now," Rue sniffles, wiping away a single tear. "Better off than the three who gave their lives to ensure you could be carried off the battlefield."

The reveal of this is like being punched in the gut. For a moment I feel as rattled as the time Rammy punched me to the ground so long ago.

"I never wanted anybody to die for me, Rue," I whisper, shaking. "Not for a moment...I never..."

"Me neither," she lays her head on my shoulder, slow and steady. "...People are going to keep on dying. For us. For others. For no reason. They're gonna die."

I let her weep into my shoulder, unsure what to do. It seems like we're getting closer to having all the Districts on our side, but what then? Will it be enough to take out the Capitol and kill that _**vile, evil, repulsive**_...

Rue tenses, as if knowing I've started to enter another mood swing. I force a smile, taking a few deep breathes.

"I'm fine. I'm calm, see?" I say.

"Riiiiight."

"Well, calm-ish," I let out another deep breath. "Rue... I feel exhausted. Sleep is full of monsters, just like being awake is. It's always bombs, gunfire, killing, being hurt... we're not even safe in Thirteen. Are we safe anywhere? I just... Rue, I think I'm going crazy."

"You look exhausted Urchin," she says, worried. "You're always doing so much... everything is turning you into somebody I know you are not. You need a rest, a _real_ rest. We're just kids, of _course_ we're gonna go bananas from all the war activities we're taking part in. Maybe if we just... sleep a bit, well, we might feel better."

"You think?" I ask, doubtful. "What time is it anyway? How long was I out this time?"

"Two hours. It's a little after nine now," she replies, moving to look out the window. "We could be called off to continue the mission any time. If we're planning on getting any rest, now's a good time."

Before long Rue is laying beside me, the pair of us staring up at the ceiling. It's clear we're exhausted beyond belief. So, why is it so hard to fall asleep? Maybe it's that nagging feeling of every moment spent sleeping is a moment not spent fighting the enemy. A moment where Ula, Prim and every other prisoner has their suffering prolonged.

Maybe I'm just scared about what's happening with Finnick, Hopper and all their squad. Mutts are never good news... we got lucky in Four. What if they don't get so lucky in Five?

For that matter, what might be happening with Timm, Coral, Tack and mom back in Thirteen?

Rue gives me a gentle nudge, bringing me back to earth once more.

"You were starting to... go into an episode," she glances to the side, nervous. "I know you're dedicated to saving the day Urchin. I am too, but... we can't save anybody if we're making ourselved tired and miserable. Can't say the world without a good nap."

For a time I lay silent, thinking her words over. I crack a weak smile and slowly move an arm around her, an action that brings out a smile on her face.

"I guess we can save the world tomorrow," I tell her. "Or, at least try to."

"Sounds like a plan," Rue agrees.

* * *

 **(Time passes...)**

* * *

I wake up to the sound of footsteps. I've been sleeping lighter and lighter recently, it never taking much to wake me up. Rue clearly can't say the same, not when she lays beside me with a small puddle of drool coming from her mouth to stain the pillow.

The footsteps continue, moving past the door and further away. A moment passes before I hear the front door of the apartment open.

Curiosity over who is leaving the building has me carefully get off the mattress and sneak over to the door. I peer out just as the front door closes, only able to get a brief glimpse of somebody's boot as they leave into the night. All the soldiers in the entrance hall are sleeping, each of them out like a light.

One quick detour backwards to grab my rifle and I'm back on my way after whoever just left. It's not them I'm worried about of course, just the idea of being jumped by any Peacekeepers who might be patrolling the area. All it takes to get me down for good is one well aimed bullet.

Of course, the same is true for them...

I try to move silently as I pursue the unknown figure down the stairs, them always keeping just barely out of my sight. Whoever they are, they know how to be stealthy.

I finally catch up once they reach the base of the stairs four floors down and move for the front entrance to the apartment building. There's no mistaking that it's Valkri; she's all geared up like she's ready for a mission on her own.

Aaaaaand of course that's exactly what she's doing. Is she ditching us?

"Valkri?" I call out.

She whirls around, her eyes wide and her entire body freezing up. For a few moments we just stare at each other in silence.

"Uh... it's not what it looks like," she says.

"It looks like you're leaving us," I reply, raising an eyebrow.

"Ok... uh... well, that's not quite wrong," she mumbles inaudibly, wringing her hands. "Look, Urchin... I can't stay here."

"Why not?" I ask. "Safety in numbers, Valkri. Besides, that dam tomorrow needs destroying."

"I know, I know, just..." she takes a deep breath. "Urchin, you'd do anything to save your sister, right? Your friends too? ...Even if it was a bit 'out of line'?"

I can't deny it. How many times now have I said I'd fight the Capitol single handedly if it meant saving Ula? _So_ many, that's my estimate. I give Valkri a nod, letting her continue.

"Urchin... Two isn't far away from here. You said it yourself, Five is pretty close. Minnie's there, and she's in danger; you know we can't trust Snow or those Peacekeepers. Mummy is there too and I can't just sit around and do nothing about it," she takes a deep breath. "So, I'm going there. I know the way to get where I have to go... I know how to survive in Two and fight if I must. I scored an eleven... you'll see why I earned it."

"But what about the mission here? What about all of us?" I ask, moving closer to her. "Valkri, we need you. You can't just leave us behind!"

"Urchin, please! ...Please..." Valkri shuts her eyes tightly, a tear leaking out. "Trust me. I've been thinking over the risks all day. I've been doing nothing but training for a long, long time... you can trust me to stay safe. You're all going to be coming to District Two soon enough anyway, right? We can meet right back up once you're there. Please, don't tell anybody... not until I'm already gone... please..."

Valkri tries not to weep, her fierce front holding for now. It really comes down to me here. What do I do? One member of the Flock vanishing into the night isn't going to look good for the rebelion, even if she manages to accomplish her goals. It's reckless!

But Valkri is the strongest among us; she's far tougher than I am and she's got the 'career mindset' that has made Two such a strong place. Would she really try to do this if she hadn't thought about it? Valkri is tough and emotional, but she's hardly reckless. I don't believe her to be a massive risk taker, least of all for no good reason.

I could think it over for hours, but it really just comes down to two outcomes in the end: **trust Valkri** or... **turn her in**. Each choice could effect the rest of the rebellion so strongly... what's the right option here? If she stays she'll be safe, but Two won't want to be neglected and it'll only mean Valkri and Rue arguing more and more.

But, if Valkri left and she died in her rescue mission... it's all my fault. What do I do? What do I do?

"Urchin, I'm a big girl. I'm a soldier," Valkri reaches down and lifts her shirt up by an inch, an armoured rest becoming visible. "I'm well prepared. _Trust me_. If I can go home, save mummy and Minnie and then gather some local support... Urchin, it could mean huge things for this whole rebellion. Without Two I don't think the Capitol will last long."

I take several deep breathes in and out, hoping for the right answer to occur to me in a flash. It doesn't. All I can do... is go with my gut on this one, for better or worse.

"Valkri..." I pause, considering my words.

She remains silent, observing me. Her eyes nervously glance upwards every few moments, as if worried that others from our hiding spot will be flooding down any second. If they realise they're missing then it's sure to happen.

"...Take care of yourself," I say, more serious than I ever knew I could be. "I mean it, _be careful_. I'm trusting you to make it all the way to Two and do what you have to. You know how dangerous this is, right?"

"I do. I'll accept any and all consequences as they come. Whatever punishment happens... it's worth keeping my own family and friends safe," she assures me, heading for the door. "Good luck at the dam Urchin. I don't know how true it is, but some of the Peacekeepers in Two have been stationed here in days gone by... they've said some of the dam is alive, whatever that means. Do with that information as you may, I've got a train to stow away on."

With a final smile, one so small it's hard to even be sure it's there, Valkri leaves into the night. She quickly becomes a silhouette within the darkness, rounding a mangled corner of the street and leaving my sight.

I think I made the right choice, but already the feeling of doubt and second guessing start to fill me up. Was it really right to let her strike out on a solo mission?

I guess, like Valkri, I'll accept the consequence as they come. I hope I wasn't wrong to believe I can trust my strongest friend.

By the time I get back onto the mattress beside Rue I'm feeling like a zombie, all the fatigue and stress coming to a head and truly draining me.

Moments before I would've fallen asleep I suddenly sit right up, softly letting out a curse.

"Oh shit... crap, crap, crap..." I groan, covering my face.

Magnus doesn't know that I let Valkri go off on her own, and I don't think she told him what she was doing. He is going to kill me when he finds out...

* * *

Looks like trouble is boiling over in Five, Thirteen and... well, basically everywhere? All this and Valkri's splitting off for the time being. What consequences will Urchin's choice bring? I guess time will tell all, but either way the war is far from being over just yet! Stay tuned for more, our tiny curly haired lead is only just starting to bare the brunt of the warzone!


	9. Act 2-6: Orion 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not own The Hunger Games. They belong to Suzanne Collins.

 **Note:** Sure has been a while huh? Simply put, I've been doing tons of job hunting and portfolio work with screenwriting. As I've now managed to secure a fairly well paying job I feel I can relax in terms of 'being an adult' and get some writing done. I think the chapter turned out alright, but what do you guys think? Feel free to let me know!

* * *

 **ACT 2: THE LIBERATION**

 **Part 6: Orion 1**

* * *

Just like I had expected, the news of Valkri's departure wasn't received well by any means. There was initial panic, desperate yells to send out a search party, panic about the possibility of there being a kidnapper on the loose… it was a while before I was able to say a word to anybody about knowing where Valkri had gone.

Telling the truth didn't earn me any gold stars. Magnus was seriously pissed off at me, claiming that I'd put Valkri in immense danger. I didn't have it in me to remind him Panem as a whole is incredibly dangerous, no matter what district we're in. The adults began to shout and at that point Node's apartment was filled with nothing beside yelling and swearing.

It took Electra crying and pleading for quiet before anybody stopped. But since then there has not been much of anything said. Just a whole lot of tension as we quietly go about our morning, waiting for any news of the other team and their progress towards destroying the second generator.

I don't think I could have done anything to stop Valkri from leaving besides using physical force, and with my wounded hand I doubt I could've overpowered her. But that doesn't change the fact I've 'let a Mockingjay fly the coop'. The adults sent a few glares my way as they paced around, acting like I signed Valkri's death warrant.

Maybe I did. That's why I couldn't keep showing my face amongst them any longer and went up to the roof of the building to try and calm down. For at least an hour I've been laying on my back upon the hard concrete, staring skywards at the orange dawn. Even with how polluted District Five is they sure have some lovely sunrises.

"Did I do the right thing?" I sigh, tracing my left hand through my burnt curls. "Valkri, take care of yourself out there."

It's a while longer before I hear the sounds of another person. I don't divert my gaze from the sky as Rue walks up to me, taking a seat beside me. For a while we just stare up at the sky.

"You never look at the sky and imagine what it's like in worlds far beyond Panem? Beyond Earth?"

"Sometimes. I never really pondered it very much to be honest. I never figured I'd ever get a chance to leave Panem," I close my eyes, sighing. "I used to think I'd never leave District Four, but here we are."

"Here we are," Rue repeats. "…What do you want me to say Urchin?"

"What do you mean?" I glance towards Rue. Her big eyes gaze back at me, neutral. "I mean, I guess hearing you say you love me would be nice… that's not what you mean is it?"

"Nope, although I do love you. It's just…" Rue lightly tugs at her hair, trying to distract herself. "I don't know. I think you did the wrong thing letting Valkri go. But then part of me doesn't. It's a back and forth and I don't know which way I'm swinging. I guess… do you want me to be comforting or just talk from the heart?"

"…From the heart. I'm gonna be thirteen in a few months. I'd say I'm a big enough boy to be given a scolding when I'm due for it," I sit myself up, moving beside Rue. "Lay it on me."

She does. Rue talks of her own inner conflicts. First comes her disapproval, her thoughts of how reckless it was for me to just let Valkri make a run for the train station when it was a distance away and how I could've just stopped her by yelling to wake everybody up. Valkri would be angry, but at least she'd be alive and within our squad. Now though, she could be anywhere.

"It was just… reckless. I know we're at war and taking risks, but we're kids. That was too big a risk and now Magnus is sure as heck gonna have trouble working with us," Rue sighs, pulling up her knees. "But you know, part of me is glad you let her go. We'd not been getting along."

She's quick to assure me she doesn't mean she wants Valkri dead, only for them to have space between themselves. Both of them were desperate to visit their own Districts first and save what family they still had left, it had started tearing a rift between them. Both were so convinced they were right.

But the worst of it all is when Rue says she wishes she'd been smart enough to do what Valkri did. Run off and head to her own district. Face off against the Capitol in one massive district showdown. But now she knows it's too late.

She knows I'd never let her run off.

"So you see… I'm mad you let Valkri run off into danger, feel kinda happy too… and then I just feel like a jealous dummy for not trying it myself," Rue sighs, gazing at me with lost eyes. "I'm thirteen. This is way too complicated for me."

I find myself unable to disagree. I don't understand what to say or feel half the time. Maybe all the time. I just make snap decisions and hope that I choose whatever keeps myself and those I love alive and well. I lack any idea of what to say to Rue, settling for lightly putting my arm around her. She lightly leans on me, softly sighing.

"We'll be in Eleven before you know it. Some of the districts have been freeing themselves, right? At this rate we could be done in just a month. Imagine, a free Panem before my thirteenth birthday. Far before your fourteenth," I force a weak smile. With how battered I am it's surely not convincing. "We're getting there."

"Do you even believe the words you're saying, Urchin?"

"…Truthfully, I don't know," I sigh, laying down to watch the orange dawn again. "Maybe if I say it enough times I will. I just want us to live, that's all."

"I'd like that as well," Rue lays down beside me, gazing up at the sky. "I'd like it a lot."

"…It's crazy to say it, but life seemed so much simpler when we were locked in an arena with twenty two other people, especially the first time. It was brutal, barbaric… but simple," I shake my head, sighing deeply. "Simpler than a nationwide war!"

"What a world we live in where kids getting speared and eaten is 'simple'," Rue glances at me, a grim sort of smile on her face. "Our nation sucks."

I can't disagree. Child murder, hatred, murder being so mundane… it sucks, which is exactly why we need to change it. I try to imagine what the future will be like once Snow dead and Ula is safe and sound in my arms. Imagine, a world with no Hunger Games. No tears. No more fear or pain.

It sound so strange to imagine such a place, but if we win…

It's something worth fighting for, no matter the enemies I make or the wounds I'll be suffering. Maybe Magnus and the others will forgive me for letting Valkri run off once they see just how wonderful a world without the Capitol will be.

Rue bursts my bubble when she asks who would be in charge in such a nation full of fairness and love. This gives me pause. Who indeed? Not a Capitolite, not after what they have done to us all… but not Coin. After what she did to Coral she's lost my vote in an election – not that I'm old enough to vote – but who else is there?

"…Why not let Caesar be the president?" I say, half joking.

"I always thought he'd be a good weatherman once he no longer has any Hunger Games to work on," Rue says, laughing.

Our lives are so messed up, but we can't help laughing in spite of it all. Maybe it just shows how broken we are, or maybe it means there's still hope for us yet. I'm not sure, but at least when we're laughing we're not crying.

Eventually we have to get up and leave the rooftop. One of the soldiers comes to tell us that the other squad finally got done with destroying the second generator and are ready to regroup with us at the meeting point.

It's time for the next part of the mission. Destroying the massive dam that supplies the Capitol with the power it desperately needs. I can't deny that the idea of literally leaving them in the dark gives me a sort of pleasure.

I've not forgotten what Finnick told me over the transmitter, though. Something about a beast he only called 'it'. Could it be any worse than the Groaners, Air Screamers and those nasty mutts that tore apart Weldar on that final night of my first Games?

And what of what Valkri told me? Something about the 'dam being alive'… I'll be bracing for the worst, that's for sure.

After all, the worst tends to happen all too often wherever I go.

* * *

 **(Later…)**

* * *

As dawn turns to daylight and daylight becomes afternoon we finally arrive at the massive dam. Orion 1 looms over us, a grand structure of pure power. I guess, put that way, it makes sense for it to be in Five of all places. That dam could single handedly power over a hundred towns.

Of course, it also powers the Capitol. So, it has gotta be taken out. The only question is how we're going to pull that one off. We're all gathered on a large rocky cliff a distance from the dam, lost for ideas on what to do next. The other team caught up with us on the way here, all too eager to fill us in on what we had missed from their side of things.

All of them look a bit rattled from whatever it is they saw, none moreso than Hopper. I'm left confused as to what could've possibly left him so unnerved. Of everybody, he always seemed to be the least effected by being in the Hunger Games. If anything, he only seemed to get more confident in himself after surviving them! He doesn't tell me much, only that I can't ever let go of my weapons.

"Not that I plan on doing that, but… why not?" I glance around, wondering if whatever left Hopper so uneasy may be watching us right now. "Is something after us?"

"Could be," he shudders, huddling himself. "Let me put it this way Urchin, you've seen lizard mutts before right?"

"Yeah, in some of the Hunger Games I saw growing up," I flinch at the memories. The lizards of the Seventy Second Games are something nobody likes to remember. "Why?"

Hopper looks at me blankly. "You've not seen lizard mutts. Not until you see the thing we saw."

I'm unable to press him further on this before somebody's receiver begins to ring. Magnus is quick to answer it, not even looking my way for a nanosecond. Normally something I'd take no mind of, except for the fact I'm right in front of him and his eyes are diverted far to the left.

"It's Magnus. What's going on? We're in the area of the target, currently unsure of how to proceed."

We all stand silently as Magnus listens to what the person on the other end tells him. He nods, making occasional grunts of acknowledgement to what he's being told. Neither myself, the other mockingjays, the soldiers or even Finnick know what to do besides waiting for Magnus to tell us what's going on. If only he could just put his transmitter on speaker mode.

I glance at Finnick, uncertain. He responds with a shrug, pointing his eyes back towards Magnus. I take the hint, focusing on our ally. With luck he'll know exactly what to do here.

Magnus soon hangs up, shoving the transmitter away. "Ok, we have our orders for the next part of the mission."

"What's the plan?" Finnick asks.

"Duck and cover!" Magnus yells, gesturing back to the boulders not far from the cliff edge. "Heat's coming in fast!"

No sooner has he said this the sound of a roaring engine – no, three roaring engines – fills up the sky. I glance up, quickly spotting three large hovercrafts flying in at quite a speed. Guns are blazing and the dam soon has alarms blaring.

I'm off like a rocket after that, making sure to take Rue's hand and pull her along with me to the cover of the boulders. There's not enough space for everybody, only for about half of us. Rue and I are among those lucky enough to duck down into cover. The others, mostly the soldiers, make the choice to run for the treeline and crouch within the bushes.

Chaos rules my world as fire fills the air, a massive cloud of smoke following not far after. The explosions are loud enough for my ears to throb. For a moment I think they're bleeding. I distantly hear Electra crying and wailing for Timm, while Hopper just lets out a grim sort of sigh. None of us dare to move until the last of the explosions have faded away.

"Did the hovercrafts make a landing?" Rue asks, still covering her ears.

"I'll check," I carefully rise out from behind the boulders, gazing at the dam. "…Oh no… what… what the hell?!"

It's a disaster that awaits my eyes. The dam has taken damage, that's for sure. Even from here the ruins of the left side of the dam and the bodies of various Peacekeepers are impossible to miss. But that's not what has me feeling sick to my stomach.

It's the remains of the hovercrafts. Mangled chassis, tons of fire, all sorts of shrapnel… what is left of the three hovercrafts is smashed right into the dam! This wasn't a mass bombing upon Orion 1 that got them shot down. No, it's something much more disturbing.

They crashed into the dam on purpose…

One by one the rest of the squad members move to stand around me, gazing out at the crash site over at the dam. We recoil as one of the hovercrafts explodes, debris sent flying down into the water around the area. Nobody knows what to say here, least of all me.

They died… on purpose. They knew exactly what was going to happen. They killed themselves!

"Magnus… did they tell you they were going to do that?" Finnick sounds tense, like he's trying to resist the urge to throw up.

Magnus shakes his head, as lost as the rest of us. He stares at the wreckage, then glances at his transmitter before gazing at the wreckage once again. He was only told that they had a plan and that we had to get back while they took out a chunk of the dam's defences. They never claimed they planned to kill themselves in the process.

Hopper shakes his head, grim determination in his eyes.

"Seems they were committed to the rebel cause. Enough to die for it," Hopper balls his fists, spooked. "Are we that committed?"

Nobody answers his question. I don't think anybody can say for sure if they are or not until the moment comes where they have to decide. We don't talk much as she group together and start heading for the entrance of the dam. It won't be more than a few minutes before we reach the entrance and once we do…

…Well, I hope the brave – and horrifying – sacrifice of the hovercrafts will have stopped any chance of us getting gunned down. The day is far from over, but the same can't be said for our lives. One bullet at any second at all would be all it takes.

Rue and I hold hands, dreading the moment we'll have to let go and make a run for the dam's main entrance. My eyes wander to Node and Electra, the former letting the latter ride on his back. Could they become split apart by death? After that I glance towards Finnick as he leads us alongside Magnus… could he die before he can even ask Annie to marry him? It's been delayed enough, surely he won't die before he gets a chance to say those magic words, right?

Too bad I know life isn't fair. Any of us may die. I grip my rifle, bracing myself to do whatever I must to ensure that it won't be me that dies next.

* * *

 **(Not much later…)**

* * *

The wreckage of the hovercrafts has left smoke billowing in the air. I can practically taste it on my tongue as we walk through the wreckage of the dam. Despite the triple crash it's still working, incredible amounts of power being sent out towards the Capitol. If three hovercrafts crashing right into this place didn't take it out then I'm not really sure what else will.

I glance at the corpses of the peacekeepers, quickly looking away. It's getting harder to not think of who they were friends with or if they had families. I'm starting to see that the thought process of 'they're on the enemy side' doesn't make it easier.

"Do we have any idea what we're doing here?" I ask Finnick when we duck behind a broken wall, one of the soldiers performing a quick headcount. "How are we going to destroy the dam?"

Finnick holds up some kind of an explosive. "Timebomb. Just a matter of putting this in the centre of the dam and letting it blow up."

"Do we know where the centre of this place is?" I feel my hopes sinking. I was certainly never informed of that.

"Absolutelyyyyyyyy not. No, we don't know," Finnick forces a smile. "But that doesn't mean we cannot find it. The dam isn't even a square mile wide, so… not as hard as finding a tribe within an arena."

In a grim way it makes perfect sense. I stay quiet, listening as we're given instruction on what to do. The plan ends up being fairly simple, that being to sort us into four teams to cover more ground. Stealth is the goal here, no fighting if we can help it.

Of course, we don't get to decide our own team. Not when that'd take too long; it's as simple as Magnus just pointing at several people at once and declaring them to be a team. I'm not wholley surprised that Magnus ensure I'm not in his group.

It occurs to me he might break my arm if Valkri's death is confirmed on a broadcast. Crap, I bet he knows how to make it look like an accident too!

I'm so focused on what Magnus could do it me that it takes a few pokes from Electra to get my attention. She's in my group for this mission, as is Finnick, Node, Cressida and several other soldiers. I guess it'll have to do. The other groups – Hopper and Rue both being in the same group, I'm quick to note – are already heading into the dam through three separate points.

"So, where's our entrance?" I ask. "…Not the sewers right?"

"Sewers… ewww, gross… full of filth… nasty mutt…" Electra shivers, no doubt remembering our run through the sewers of District Eight.

Thankfully Node is quick to assure us that no such thing will be needed. Instead, we're gonna be looping around and trying the back door. I follow closely beside Finnick as we head off on our way, but one thing remains on my mind as we get ever closer to our goal.

Valkri said the dam was alive. What did she mean by that? Everything around here looks pretty dead. Have the hovercrafts gotten rid of the problem she was aware of… or is it still here, waiting for us?

I slide a few extra bullets into my rifle, hoping I won't need to find out.

* * *

 **(Time passes…)**

* * *

It feels so creepy, wandering blindly through the corridors of the power plant. The faint hum of electronics fills the air, the distant rumbling of the fierce water running under the dam an even fainter sound beyond it. We've not seen any peacekeepers so far, but I have a nasty feeling within me that we're being followed.

Maybe I'm just paranoid. Every time I turn around I'm unable to see a thing. The stress of war is messing with my head.

"Stay on your guard everybody," Finnick says, peering around a corner. "For all we know there could be an ambush up ahead."

Gunfire sounds out a distance away, several muffled screams following right afterwards. Seems like the other groups fan into trouble. I mutter out a prayer, hoping it wasn't Rue that was among those screaming for the last time.

I can't think about that now, it's out of my control. All I can do is try my best to find the centre of the dam and destroy it. I glance around, hoping to spot signs that might point me towards my goal, but there's nothing of the sort. No matter where we look there's nothing that might suggest directions of where things are, not even a sign pointing towards the bathroom.

Hopper gets the bright idea to ask Electra and Node if they know where it is, but neither of them have a clue. Natives of Five as they may be, they've never set food within this dam before. With Electra being a kid and Node not being in this line of work I'm forced to admit it makes sense.

I still don't like it though. Anything to make this trip go faster would be fine by me.

We end up passing by a screen on the wall. Maybe it's a coincidence, maybe it's more than just that, but either way it promptly switches on as we pass it. We spare it a glance… and then more than just a glance when Snow is shown on the screen. It's to my delight that he looks a bit less calm than he normally does. The bearded bastard has wrinkles on his face! Bags under his eyes too! If my actions have been causing him sleep, and maybe indigestion, then it's all the reason I need to keep on going as I have been so far.

Snow pauses to take a sip from a glass of water before he finally decides to speak. Every word that comes out of his mouth has me feeling more and more bitter, feelings of disgust and hatred impossible for me to ignore. If anybody is gonna live happily ever after this man needs to die. **With pleasure…**

I shake my head. I need to focus on what he's saying, just in case it's useful. It might be about Ula… or even Valkri.

" _Greetings citizens of Panem_. _I speak to you this afternoon with good news for all. More traitors across Panem are being caught, interrogated and humanely disposed of for the good of all of our nation. While the past few months have been taking a heavy price from all of us, the end result is looking more positive by the day. Victory over the rebels is assured and the next Hunger Games will go ahead right on schedule_ ," Snow pauses to take another sip of wine. " _I had wanted this to be a surprise, but as a thank you for the loyalty and ever helpful reports from my citizens, I can hereby reveal that every single Hunger Games from now and forevermore will have a special twist to it. Think of it as a yearly quarter quell, with each future quell set to be an even bigger spectacle_."

We don't say a word. Surely Snow had more to say than just this. As awful as the idea of all those future Games is… that's only going to matter if we lose, and we will not lose. Never!

I get my answer all too soon. Snow rises, moving from the desk to stand by a window. He gazes at the sunny sky outside for a short while before he turns to look at the camera. It's like looking at a demon…

" _In times of war many hard choices have to be made. Without hard calls being made there will never be a chance for peace. Without the Games war will break out. Without the Capitol's guiding hand the Districts will only destroy themselves. Some may remember me as a tyrant in generations to come. I only want for them to see it's nothing quite so simple. I don't feel proud of every single choice I have had to make… but for the security of my nation and the safety of my people, of my entire species, I know what choices I need to make_ ," he sighs, like he were regretful. I don't believe the man to be capable of regret or remorse. " _The price of betrayal and defiance is considerably high. But the price of murder, terrorism, remorseless attacks on those who loved him and gave him everything… Urchin will have to pay a much higher cost if he's really willing to keep fighting against me_."

Snow signals the camera to move to the right. I feel my legs give out from under me as I stare at the screen. Ula! Oh no, nonononono, no! What are they doing to you Ula…?

She sits in a chair, restrained by straps. Every groan, every sob… it's like the pain of the arrow Weldar shot into my shoulder, except ten times worse.

I'm not a biologist. I've only ever gotten low B's at most in school… but there is no way a little girl should have skin so pale and sickly with those shades of green! Her fingers twitch, her posture is slumped and she's in so much pain…

That horrid woman, Iris, stands beside the chair Ula is strapped into. She silently takes notes, emotionless. Ula sobs something, but the camera moves away all too soon.

" _I take no pleasure. But if it's all the lives within the Capitol and the Districts against just one girl… I've made my choice. Urchin needs to make his choice_ ," Snow stares at the camera, slowly taking a syringe from his pocket. " _You have four weeks Urchin. At any point you can surrender and this little needle can reverse everything. Ula will be fine and treated by the very best of Capitol doctors. Several victors can attest to the fact they can fix nearly anything_. _But if you should decide to keep on fighting… can you really topple the Capitol in just twenty eight days from now_?"

He puts away the syringe. I'm stuck in a state of feeling weightless and breathing so fast that I'm entering a choking fit. I hardly hear anything else he says, how can I when my sister is in so much danger!? What will happen to her if I run out of time? Death, or worse?

Giving up the rebellion condemns everybody. I can't do that. I can't give up like Thirteen did the first time. I'll just have to fight harder, smarter, faster! I won the Hunger Games in just ten days… I can win a war in just four weeks, right? Right…?

Snow speaks of the Capitol being wise, loving, forgiving, all powerful… all of it's a load of chum. I only tune back into focus when he reacts with alarm, telling somebody off camera to do something.

The screen shows static. Is that it? I glance around at the others, only to see they're all staring at me. Hopper and Finnick move close to me, their hands firmly upon my shoulders. I give them a weak nod, assuring them I'm not giving up.

We don't say much of anything before the screen comes back on. Only… it's not Snow. It's certainly not the Capitol that's being displayed anymore. What's going on here?

It's the backyard of a suburban house. Somehow, it's untouched by the war that's been tearing the nation apart. Nothing out of place and only a small, crudely made wooden stall in frame of the camera. …A lemonade stall?

"Did Snow get upstaged by somebody wanting to sell lemonade? That's got to hurt his ego," Hopper says, snickering weakly.

After a few moments of silence a man walks into frame and sits down upon the stall. He holds a wooden sword with him. For a while he sits in silence, calmly admiring the sword and acting like the camera is not even there. I try to recall who it is that I'm seeing here, but I'm coming up blank. He's maybe in his forties, but he looks young for his age. A slender build, a short height, a large fringe of hair dyed a deep purple to contrast with his otherwise pure black hair… who is he?

" _Do you remember this place_?" the man says, gesturing behind him. " _I should hope so_. _You invaded it for family interviews and plenty of other little things after my own Games. Do you remember this stall I have with me_? _I'd hope so, you all seemed so interested in my business ideas after I escaped that terrible arena_."

He looks over the wooden sword and points it at the camera.

" _Remember this sword_? _It was gonna be my token, but it was confiscated_ ," the man, clearly a victor, chuckles. " _Not that I needed it, did I_? _Now for the million Cap question… do you remember me? I should hope so, we met at the reaping for the Forty Second Hunger Games if you watched the crowd very closely_."

The man speaks on and on. Talking of the Forty Second Hunger Games and all the horrors within that he was able to emerge as the sole survivor from. The eight member career pack, the acid lakes, the evil trees… the way he talks about it, so jaded and worldly, it makes me feel a bit queasy. He's just so… human.

" _I think you know my story, don't you_? _Tag Nylon of District Eight, the victor of the Forty Second Hunger Games_ ," he trails off, looking up to stare at the camera.

I've never before seen somebody look so mischievous, so eagerly twisted, so smug… not even Hopper! Whatever Tag is leading up to, it must be big.

"Tag always liked to be the biggest personality in the room," Finnick whispers. "If he's making his own propo for the war then it's gonna be huge."

Tag gets up from the old stall and tosses the sword away. He stares at the camera, smirking.

" _You took a boy from Eight into the arena and you tried to take everything from him. His life, his dignity, his mind… but there was one thing you never realised Snow. One thing that escaped your attention for so many years. Something I've kept locked away for so very long, only a select few people knowing the truth_ …" he giggles, like he has one massive prank incoming. " _Want to know the secret_?"

He beckons off-camera. Another man comes on… one who looks exactly the same as Tag does. Oh… is this the victor who had an identical twin? Now that I think about it I vaguely recall this, if only slightly. It never really mattered to me growing up what family members one of Eight's victors had.

" _Snow, let me explain something… I'm not Tag Nylon_ ," the man says, laughing. " _I never was_!"

" _I'm Tag Nylon_ ," says the second man, a bit softer than the first. " _Reaped and thankfully forgotten about. I never let foot in the arena_."

" _But I did_. _My name is Spool Nylon, the real victor of the Forty Second Hunger Games. The boy who switched places with his brother inside the judgement building, went into the Capitol under a fake name, won the Games without ever being suspected of anything and got away with outsmarting the Capitol for all these years at the age of fourteen_ ," he doubles over, laughing. " _The Capitol is wise, is it? Smart? All knowing? If that's the case then how did a fourteen year old obsessed with medieval stories trick you so easily? You might want to start fixing up the history books Snow, because I think they got the name of one of the victors a bit mixed up!_ "

Spool and Tag high-five, laughing like a pair of children. The twins move off camera and return, this time holding metal swords. They perform some fancy manoeuvres and finish with the coolest sheathing of swords I've ever seen. Spool smiles at his brother and then looks at the camera, fire in his eyes.

" _If I could outwit the Capitol when I was a boy and have them never know anything until I decided to let them in on the secret, why can't anybody beat them at their own game? The Capitol is flawed! It's foolish! It's cruel, unnatural, vile and the most heinous government in all of human history! To defeat them and really stick it to them, you need only do what I did… have the nerve to stand up and do something about it. If not for revolution, then for the sake of saving your friends or family_ ," Spool puts an arm over his brother's shoulders. " _All the reason I needed to defy them was my brother being in danger. What's your reason_?"

The brothers pose for the camera as the broadcast ends. Everybody is silent in the aftermath of seeing all of this, none moreso than Finnick. His draw has dropped and for the first time… he's lost, like he's got no idea what to say. No cheeky remark, no flirty statement, nothing but stunned silence.

"…I'm gonna need to work hard to top that," he eventually says. "C'mon, let's keep going. We can have a collective gasp over all of that later, once we're back in Thirteen."

As scared as I am for Ula's safety and how little time we have left to take down the Capitol, I can't deny that my ribs ache from all the laughter I'm holding in as we run along. I would give anything, _anything_ to be able to see the look on Snow's face right now!

* * *

 **(Not much later…)**

* * *

We're lost.

I mean, it would make perfect sense if we were. We've been wandering for a while without any sign that we're heading in the right direction. I'm not even sure what the centre of the dam looks like, only that we've not found it yet. Electra tries to be positive, claiming that each corridor is surely leading us closer to our destination. I wish I still had that kind of optimism.

We've not come across the other teams nor received any calls from them. Either they're dead or just have nothing to say and the fact I have no idea which it is has me pretty on edge. There's been enough death today without Rue, Magnus or anybody else having to bite it as well.

The lack of Peacekeepers in our way has me further worried. Are they really all dead? Are we just getting lucky and avoiding them by chance? Or are they setting up an ambush for us? There's no way for us to know until we get an answer thrown at us.

"So, we do remember the way back?" Hopper says. "If the other groups set down their own time bombs first I'd rather we were anywhere but in here when they go off."

"I've got it in mind," Finnick says, confident. "I happen to possess a photographic memory. I'll get us out of here."

We round another corner and come to a halt. Seems like we've come across some sort of a generator room. Alas, it doesn't seem like the centre of the dam that we're looking for. Or maybe it is? Like I've said, I don't know for sure what our target looks like. The floor seems like it has the potential to be electrified while here and there are several… I think the term for them is transformers? I'm sure I heard it on TV once. They emit electricity, occasional zapping it from one transformer to another.

"Finnick, is this what we're looking for?" I ask, wandering into the wide room. No trouble in sight, a good sign. "It doesn't… seem like it? Am I wrong?"

"No, you're right, this isn't the centre of the dam. No reason we can't set down bombs here if another team finds the target. Oh, don't touch the transformers. They'd fry you," Finnick glances around, curious. "Hm, I don't think this is anything but a dead end. Let's turn back."

I turn, noticing that Electra has followed me into the room. She gazes at the transformers, amazed.

"Really cool… high tech, um, and… uh… really neat," she points over to the transformer in the centre of the room. "Fun."

"It'll be more fun once we get out of here. Nothing but trouble in this dam," I tell her. Node nods his head in agreement from where he stands just outside the large room. "Let's go."

Finnick's receiver goes off before we can move. We pause to listen as he takes the call and while we can't make out what the other person is saying… I have a pretty good idea of what it is that's going on. After all, Finnick is smiling.

"The bomb has been set. We have thirty minutes to get out of here," Finnick cracks his knuckles. "Ready to run?"

"Nah, we'd love to stick around and get blown up inside a crappy dam. Yes, of course we are!" Hopper laughs, giving Finnick a funny look. "Grown-ups are weird sometimes."

It all happens so fast. In a flash a see-through barrier has arisen from the ground, trapping Electra and I inside the room. We're quick to run over and start pounding at it, to no avail. It's made of really tough stuff, whatever it is. A few shots of my rifle doesn't even scratch it.

"Hang on, we'll get you both out of there," one soldier takes out what I can only call some sort of strange cutting torch. "Stand back!"

"…Uh, guys? You might want to look behind you and, word from the wise, not panic," Hopper says, mixed between confusion and awe.

I glance back, quickly wishing I hadn't. Or, better yet, that I hadn't entered this room to begin with. I'm starting to see what Valkri meant when she said that she heard talk of the 'dam being alive'. I mean, look at it!

I stand with Electra, stunned as one of the transformers begins to move around on its own. It unfolds the upper park of its body until, still rooted to the spot, it has extended two arms with build in machine guns. In the centre a face of sorts has been revealed. Maybe it's some kind of aiming system? To me it looks more like a pair of angry, glowing eyes.

Eyes that are locking onto us to fire! Crap, crap, crap!

I take Electra's hand and pull her behind me as I charge for cover. It's lucky that I acted when I did. This, thankfully dormant, transformer is bulletproof to the shots other one is firing at us. The bullets strike the other side of the generator over and over, all while the floor under us has become electrified. The small platform our transformer is on appears unaffected, but other than that… why does this sort of thing always happen to us?!

"Transformer… robot in disguise," Electra mumbles, covering her ears. "Loud…"

The gunfire stops in a sudden moment. Electra promptly goes back to smiling. I take the chance to peer out at the transformer. Sure enough it's pausing to reload its weapons. I'm not sure how much ammo that thing comes with, but with the time limit we're on I'm not about to just wait for it to run dry on bullets.

I only get a chance to fire off one bullet. All the training classes back in Thirteen pay off as the bullet strikes the transformer right in the eyes. I duck back with a shout, holding my helmet down over my head. Crap, I think I made it mad!

The arms of the transformer flail around, gunfire sent all over the place as it tucks away its eye. But without the eye exposed it cannot aim, so before long it reveals its weak point again. Just like the first time it cannot shoot through our cover and is eventually forced to reload.

"Electra, think you can shoot at that thing's eye?" I ask.

She nods, fumbling with her own gun for a moment. She joins me in shooting at the transformer again and again. It quickly falls into a routine, the transformer becoming fairly predictable to fight against.

"Robots… um… not too smart," Electra says.

"Seems like they didn't give it any idea what to do if its target doesn't die right away," I take aim, firing again. "Not that it'll matter if it won't die soon. Guys! How long until that gate is open?"

"Almost got it!" one of the soldiers calls over.

They finish off the gate right as we finish off the transformer. The last few bullets into the eye area must have hit something vital, because the next second the whole robot is flickering with sparks and electricity. It explodes a moment later, a cloud of smoke rising from what remains of it.

I pick Electra up into my arms and charge for the opened gate. She squeaks in alarm for a moment, but soon settles and start to glance all around. Is she looking for something in particular, or is she just curious? Does she realise we're on a tight time limit?

"Ok, which way do we go?" I slow my pace as we come to a four way intersection. "Finnick, which way are we going?"

"I'm fairly sure that we have to go… left?" says Finnick.

"Well, are you fairly sure or are you completely sure?" I ask, starting to feel a tense of unease. "I don't want us doing down the wrong end."

Finnick doesn't immediately answer this one. When he does, it's just a repetition of what he already said and _oh crap we're gonna die_.

Hopper's idea is just finding a window to jump out of so we can take our chances against the water below. His justification is that humans 'swim better than they survive exploding buildings'. He's not exactly wrong to say that, but it just sounds so… dumb. Really dumb.

"Left, straight, right, upstairs, left, middle, second left," Electra continues to recite random directions as she stares up at the ceiling… except they're not random. She knows the way out!

"Electra, mind telling us those directions again?" Node asks, gently taking Electra from my hold and into his own. "We need them to get out."

Electra lets out a small 'uh huh' and starts to repeat the directions. With her guidance leading the way I feel confident that we can make it out of the dam and out into relative safety. One less thing to worry about.

Certainly a good thing because my list of worries is already just about full. I have four week, four weeks, to save Ula or… I'm not entirely sure what will happen to her, but I get the feeling it's worse than death.

Four weeks. I can make it work.

* * *

 **(Later…)**

* * *

District Five has fallen to the rebels. It's confirmed to all thanks to another hacked broadcast. The Peacekeepers have been driven out, the Capitol's hold has weakened to nothing and now, with the dam blown to pieces by the bombs, the Capitol is going to be forced to rely on the back-up generators they have inside the city.

I sit in a hovercraft, gazing out at the burning dam through the window. It would be the perfect end to the mission if not for… well, so many other things.

Ula's on a countdown. Magnus is still pissed at me for letting Valkri run off – we have no idea where she is right now – and, upon being told of this over a transmission, Coin wants to have a very firm word with me about it. Sounds like the next few days in Thirteen won't be anything good.

If any good has come from this it's that the Capitol lost another district and Electra found her brother. Her parents are still somewhere unknown, but seeing Electra huddled with Node and chattering to him on and on about how much she missed him and how she can't wait to introduce him to Timm… you know what, it makes me feel like we really managed to accomplish something here.

With the peacekeepers driven off and all the rebels and local forces setting up bases and camps across the district there's nothing more for us to do here. But while we've been waiting for take-off I noticed something a fair distance from us.

A Capitol hovercraft making a quick getaway. It was too fast for us to take any shots at, but that wasn't what got to me. It was the fact a cage was secured to the underside of the hovercraft, some kind of beast contained within it. I had no idea what it was from over here, but Hopper knew. He knew all too well.

"It was the most awful lizard you can imagine," he shudders. "Actually, screw that, it was worse. That thing… don't get close to its jaw."

"It has a big mouth?"

"No, it's jaw. It's far worse than the mouth… you'll know what I'm talking about if you ever see it again. Too bad for us that we probably will, huh?" Hopper smiles grimly. "They do tend to send the worst of their forces and mutts after us. In a way I'm almost flattered they think I'm worth the trouble."

"Whatever they send our way we need to destroy it like it's nothing. We can't play around anymore or take it slow Hopper," I clench my eyes shut, my breathing starting to get shaky. "You saw that broadcast. Four weeks until it's too late."

"I saw it. You saw it. The whole nation saw it," Hopper pats me on the shoulder, suddenly looking serious. "Everybody knows the time limit. Enough kids have died already; I think the thought of saving your little sis might inspire more people to fight."

"You think so?" I ask him.

"I mean, I hope so. It's inspired me to fight harder," he exhales, exhausted. "Frankly I've not taken a break in ages. Fighting for Prim, for Ula… it's a lot of fighting and it wears a guy down."

"Rest up on the ride back. Something tells me that we're not going to have much rest when we're back within Thirteen either," I sigh, slumping into my seat. "Still… at least that propo Spool made should have Snow pretty worried, right?"

"Or just plain pissed off. I'm not sure whether to be amazed or jealous," Hopper pauses to laugh. "It's just… I worked so hard in the quell and this war to make Snow's life hell! I wanted to at least make him develop a few ulcers from sheer anger… but now I've just been topped and I'm not sure if I can do anything that'll match what those twins did. I should be taking notes from them."

We talk mindlessly for a bit, coming up with a few ways to annoy Snow, but in the end that's all it is… mindless. What's annoying him when compared with tearing apart his terrible regime? Nothing at all, that's what.

Rue moves to sit by us, a tired look in her eyes and one hand clutching her hip. She gazes at us, haunted. It's a while before she says anything at all.

"Urchin, can you hold me for a bit?" she sighs, drawing up her knees. "I need to focus on something, _anything_ , other than what I saw back in that dam."

"What did you see?" I ask her.

"Things," she says. Rue points to some of the seats, now empty as their owners were killed in action… I see what she's getting at. "Brave men and women who deserved better."

All of us are silent as the hovercraft finally lifts off into the air and starts the flight back towards District Thirteen. On the outside we're all the very image of quietness. I mean, besides things like Rue's haunted gaze of Magnus's cold looks he thinks I can't see.

On the inside, however, I think all of us are as loud as can be. Sure, I feel good that the dam has been destroyed and further weakened the Capitol, but it's hard to feel anything beside the increasingly familiar icy, empty sickliness that's been filling me up for so long.

Ula's got four weeks left. Time's running out already.

Coin will be mad at me for letting Valkri go. If Coin so chooses she could slow down the war effort a bit and doom Ula! She's not in a good mood with me, not after what I discovered she did to Coral.

It just feels like we're falling apart. I try to focus on Rue as she puts an arm around me… maybe if we both settle down and drift off for a few hours we'll feel better. Or at least able to function enough to face whatever awaits us when we're back in Coin's domain.

Whatever it is, it's surely not going to be anything good…

Then again, maybe there is a small bright side to all of this. I smile to myself as I listen to Finnick talking to some of the soldiers sitting across from me.

He's finally gonna ask Annie to marry him!

* * *

And there we go, another district has been taken under rebel control. How will the Capitol handle things with much less power going into their city? Well, probably by their tried and true method of bombing their problems into oblivion. In any case, Urchin's got a time limit to work with and bit by bit everybody's starting to fall apart. When will it all become too much for the kids to keep on fighting? Hard to say, but keep on reading to find out when. District Eleven awaits!


End file.
